


A New Way to Fall Apart

by jennarem



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-29
Updated: 2014-05-09
Packaged: 2017-12-17 20:52:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 79,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/871843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennarem/pseuds/jennarem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>When Kurt Hummel is dumped at the end of his senior year, he has a long and lonely summer ahead of him before he’s off to NYADA. At least, that’s the way it seems until he befriends a carefree barista and ends up spending a lot of time with none other than Sebastian Smythe. And somehow through the ups and downs and the late-night adventures and the shared looks, Kurt starts to learn that change isn’t always a bad thing, and that every ending is followed by a new beginning.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the past year or so, I've been writing this story. I was struck by inspiration and through many a trial I prevailed, writing the whole damn thing. It's the longest story I've ever written and it's essentially become my baby over the past 13 months. I simply hope someone else enjoys it as much as I do.  
> Props to my beta, Susan(stardustgifts on Tumblr).  
> Fic is canon through Big Brother. The title, and much of the story, was inspired by We Are Young by Fun.

Kurt walked into the Lima Bean and immediately regretted it.

The memories hit him like a freight train. The flirting and the dates and the ‘I love you’s. _Shit_. Kurt realized too late that he should have just gone to Starbucks or something. He momentarily considered leaving, but he was going to cut it close getting to first period anyway and he _needed_ coffee today.

He ordered his usual and then waited for it to be delivered. Once he got it, he looked at the door out to where his car was parked, and then glanced around the coffee shop. So many memories. Even though it hurt to think of them, he also wanted to cling to the familiarity of it all. He didn’t want to go to school yet, where he’d get the pitying stares and the demands to know _what happened_ and the heavy task of actually seeing Blaine again for the first time since it was over.

Sighing, Kurt walked over to a table and sat down. He wasn’t ready for this yet. He hadn’t been ready for any of it. He didn’t care if he missed first period, or second, or any of them. It was the last week of school. It didn’t matter. He was an adult and he could do what he wanted. So he was going to sit down and enjoy his fucking coffee because it was the only thing in the world worth enjoying right now.

He made it through the first third of his coffee okay. But then he began to lose it. The memories and emotions seeped in, as though they were imbibed in the air of the coffee shop, and inevitably they had to sink into Kurt’s skin. Blaine’s smiling face as he ordered Kurt’s coffee for him. His “I don’t want to mess this up.” Not very good at romance? Bullshit. Blaine had swept Kurt off his feet. And then dropped him abruptly.

_“People change,” Blaine told Kurt, holding his hands and trying to look him in the eyes. “I’ve changed, Kurt. And so have my feelings. I-I’m sorry. I don’t know why. But I can’t help it. I don’t feel the same about you and I don’t want to lead you on, or anything.”_

Kurt selfishly thought that he’d rather have been led on. It wouldn’t have hurt so badly. Maybe in the long run, it would have. But he didn’t want to think about the long run. All he could think about is now and how much he _hurt_.

Kurt was trying to hold back tears, not wanting to fall apart in a public place. He’d just about made up his mind to duck his head and go out to his car so he could blast Taylor Swift and sob, when someone sat down across from him.

His first terrified thought was _Blaine_ , because who else would be at the coffee shop? But then he remembered that Blaine didn’t love him anymore and certainly wouldn’t want to sit with him. Also, the person sitting across from him, he saw as he looked up, was most definitely female.

“Hey.” She said.

Kurt sort of stared at her. “Hey…”

She smiled. She had a gorgeous smile. Pink lips and straight teeth. She also had curly dark hair piled in a bun and dark blue eyes. She was wearing the green apron that gave her away as a café employee. She pulled a napkin out of her apron pocket and set it on the table, unwrapping it to reveal a chocolate-dipped biscotti. “I got this for you,” she said, a bit hesitantly. “I didn’t pay for it, though, so it’s kind of a secret.”

Kurt looked from the girl to the biscotti and back. He could tell his eyes were still a little wet but didn’t want to bring attention to them by wiping at them.  
“Um, thank you?”

She shrugged. “I know you like them. I mean, you buy them with your coffee sometimes. Or he bought them for you.”

Kurt stared at her.

“Your boyfriend.”

Kurt closed his eyes, willing everything to just go away.

“Are you okay?” the girl asked.

Kurt sighed, opening his eyes. “Um, no. Not really.”

“Is it about him?”

Kurt bit his lips and turned away, trying so hard not to start crying in front of a stranger. “It’s not really any of your business,” he managed to say.

She nodded quickly. “Yeah, of course. That’s fine, if you don’t want to talk. I just thought, you know, I saw you here alone, and that’s weird. You almost always came in with him or met him here or whatever. And then you just looked really super sad over here and I wanted to cheer you up, or something. But if you don’t want to talk, that’s cool. I mean, I’m not even technically supposed to be here since I’m working right now. I should be making drinks or something. I’ll go. You can still have the biscotti, though.”

She began to stand up, brushing off her apron, when Kurt spoke again, softly. “He broke up with me.”

It’s the first time he’s actually said those words out loud. When he came home crying and his father asked what was wrong, all he said was “ _Blaine_ ” before his father enveloped him in a hug, where he cried himself dry into the warm flannel of his shirt. When his Facebook relationship status changed to ‘single’ it got a _lot_ of comments, but he hadn’t responded to any of them. People would find out by word of mouth. He wasn’t going to be the one to announce it.

But here he was, saying it to some complete stranger.

The girl sat back down. “Oh, God.” She said, putting her hand to her mouth. “I’m so sorry.”

She leaned across the table towards Kurt, taking one of his hands in hers. He didn’t have time to protest before she began talking again. “That’s horrible. How come? You don’t have to tell me. Christ, I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m being so nosy. How are you holding up? Do you plan on going to school today?”

Kurt’s hurt had momentarily been replaced by shock. “Um, maybe at some point,” he said to her, only answering her last question.

“Great!” She exclaimed, squeezing Kurt’s hand. “Then we’ve got time. I’ll go get someone to cover for me and take off this atrocious apron. You stay here. And eat the biscotti; I promise it isn’t poisoned.”

She let go of Kurt and stood up, beginning to head back to the counter. Then she paused and turned around. “I’m Melanie, by the way.”

Kurt swallowed, his head slightly spinning. “Kurt.”

She grinned, waved at him, and then walked towards the register.

Kurt wiped his eyes as soon as she was gone, removing any moisture still there. The pain he’d felt previously was still there, but subdued, beating on in the background as he tried to figure out what had just happened.

While he puzzled over Melanie, he picked up the biscotti she’d apparently stolen and dipped it into his mocha, then took a bite. It was pure heaven. Biscotti really was his guilty pleasure, and this was exactly what he needed. To indulge a bit. And also to cut school and maybe even converse with random coffee shop baristas.

When Melanie returned several minutes later, Kurt was much more composed.  She sat down at the table again and pulled her hair down so that it fell in very curly waves over her shoulders. Kurt tried not to think about messy, curly dark hair and all of his feelings wrapped up in it and instead focused on her face. She began talking before he could say anything, which sort of seemed to be her forte.

“So, do you want to talk about feelings and the breakup? Do you want to bash him? Or do you want to talk about other things to get your mind off of it?”

“Um,” Kurt said, still slightly surprised by how fast she spoke. “I think I want to…talk about other stuff.”

“Okay,” she said. “Tell me about yourself, Kurt.”

Kurt took a sip of his mocha, trying to clear the confusion in his head. Then, he just let himself talk. “Um, well. I’m eighteen. A senior, in high school. I’m graduating in a few days. I’ll be going to college at a performing arts school in New York.”

“Really?” Melanie seemed genuinely excited by this. “That’s great! You’re into, what, acting, then?”

Kurt smiled. It was a small smile, but it still felt more sincere than anything he’d done in the past few days. “Acting and singing, yes. Musical theatre is what I really love. I, um, well, it’s kind of my dream to be on Broadway.”

Melanie grinned. “You totally look like the stage type. I mean, when you walk into the shop, my eyes are just kind of _drawn_ to you, you know? You really pull attention. And your clothes certainly add to the effect.”

Kurt blushed slightly. “Yeah, well. I’m also pretty interested in fashion. That’s probably what I’d go after, career-wise, if I couldn’t do musical theatre.”

“So what’s the school called?” Melanie asked.

And then, Kurt and Melanie continued to talk for an hour.

It was astounding, really. The girl was some sort of natural-born conversationalist. She could pick up on anything Kurt said and expand on it, asking compelling questions, completely engaging Kurt the entire time. She threw in her own anecdotes and comments, but never took the spotlight of the conversation. Kurt had finished his mocha and biscotti long before he looked up at the clock and gasped at the time.

“Shit,” he said. “I should probably get to school.”

“Aren’t you graduating in like three days?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“Then why bother?”

Kurt laughed. “Well, I do need to pick up my gown and whatnot. Also, I’m sure my signature is wanted in many a yearbook. And I need to intercept my stepbrother at some point so he doesn’t tell my dad that I cut the first two periods.”

Melanie grinned. “Would you like help getting away with that, by the way?”

“What do you mean?”

She twirled her dark hair. “I could call in and pretend to be your mom.”

“Stepmom,” Kurt corrected, not wanting to go into the details. He considered it. “Okay, fine.”

Melanie looked up the school phone number and called, insisting that she was Carole Hummel-Hudson and that her stepson, who’d been feeling sick that morning, needed to be excused from his first two classes. The attendance office believed it with no qualms. Melanie hung up.

“There. Now all you’ve got to do is be there by third period.”

Kurt smiled, honestly grateful. “Thank you so much, Melanie. For…all of this. I feel so much better.”

And he really did. Of course, he still knew that he was heartbroken, and he knew that his day wasn’t going to be very good because he’d have to see Blaine eventually, but Melanie had proved to him that he could be distracted from his ex-boyfriend. That other things still mattered. That he could still be excited about his future. That he could still make new friends.

“No problem,” she said. “Now, give me your phone. You need my number.”

Kurt obliged, waiting for her to punch in her information. When she handed it back, she smiled. “Okay, now, I want you to text me within the next two days. Especially if you get mopey. My friend and I will take you out somewhere and make you feel better.”

Kurt blushed, feeling like some sort of charity case. “Oh, no, you don’t have to-“

“Look, Kurt,” she said firmly. “I don’t like bullshit, so I’m gonna cut to the chase. I like you. Sure, I came over here because you looked sad and I felt like being a good Samaritan, or something. But now that we’ve talked I’ve discovered that you’re legitimately an awesome person, and I want to hang out with you. So just text me, okay?”

Kurt smiled at her. “Okay.”

“Good.” She stood up, and he followed suit, picking up his bag. “Now get your ass to school. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Bye, Melanie,” Kurt said as he turned to leave.

“Bye!” she waved after him.

Kurt took a deep breath once he got in the car. He could survive this day. He knew it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, enter Sebastian. Once again, praise [Susan](http://stardustgifts.tumblr.com) for looking this over.

Kurt did text Melanie the next night(while Monday had been survivable, Tuesday had been less so- the feeling of _aloneness_ was beginning to sink in as he saw Blaine walking the halls without him).

Melanie invited him to hang out the next night, his last evening as a high school senior. Graduation was on Thursday, and the senior picnic was on Friday. After graduation there was a Glee party at Rachel’s which Blaine was mercifully not attending(his brother was in town, Kurt remembered. They were going to spend time together).

Melanie seemed more than happy to accommodate Kurt into her plans, and for this he was grateful. He didn’t think he could stand more rejection at this point, even from an acquaintance. And he looked forward to spending time with someone who knew nothing about Blaine but his coffee order, someone who was more than willing to tackle subjects besides Kurt’s recent heartbreak. It was like a nice break from real life, talking to Melanie. She’d given him her address and instructed him to show up there at seven PM, but hadn’t gone into any more specifics. He planned a versatile outfit for the next day and then watched movies on Netflix, trying once again for distraction, until he fell asleep.

…

“Hey, Seb, you got plans for tonight?”

Sebastian stood in his underwear, in front of his closet, staring at the array of clothing in front of him. “I dunno, you tell me.”

Melanie laughed through the phone. “Yes, you have plans. With me. What should we do?”

“Hmm. Clubbing?”

Melanie sighed. “I’m not driving into Columbus.”

“We don’t have to go to Col-“

“And I’m not going to Scandals with you either.”

Sebastian sighed. Melanie continued. “I’ll get weird looks! I’ll be the only chick in a gay bar!”

“I wouldn’t mind going to a lesbian bar with you,” Sebastian suggested.

“Seb, I’m not a lesbian.”

“Oh yeah,” Sebastian’s eyebrows creased slightly. “I forget. Well, it’s the principle of the thing.”

Melanie sighed on the other end of the line. “No clubbing tonight. Let’s just hang out. Raise hell, and whatnot.”

“I’m cool with that,” Sebastian replied, stepping forward to rifle through his shirts.

“Is it okay that I invited someone else along?”

“Who?” Sebastian asked, curious.

“Just this guy I met the other day. He seems really cool.”

Sebastian smiled. “Is he cute?”

“I think so,” Melanie answered honestly. “But he’s also very gay.”

“Even better.”

Melanie scoffed. “He’s getting over a break up, so you don’t get to hit on him.”

“I can’t help myself from hitting on hot guys, Mel.” Sebastian said, finally pulling out a dark blue button-up shirt. “But I’ll promise that I won’t actually _do_ anything with him. For now.”

“Thank you,” she replied. “Meet me at my house in a few hours.”

“Will do.”

“Seeya!”

Sebastian hung up and began to get dressed.

…

Kurt pulled up to Melanie’s circular driveway at 6:55 and gaped.

The house was huge. More of a mansion, really, with a wraparound porch and balconies on the upper floors and huge windows that were reflecting the orange rays of the early-summer sunset. Kurt turned off his engine and sat for a moment.

Before he could decide to leave the car, he saw the ornate front door of the house open, and Melanie herself walked out. She was wearing jean shorts and a tight tank top, showing off a good amount of cleavage. Her hair fell wildly over her shoulders. She stepped out onto the porch and pulled something out of her pocket. Before she could notice him watching her like a stalker, Kurt opened his door and stepped outside.

Melanie looked up when she heard the car door shut. “Kurt!” she exclaimed, smiling. “Hey!”

Kurt waved at her and made his way towards the porch. As he got closer, he saw that what she had in her hand was a cigarette carton; she pulled one out while he approached and put the box back in her pocket.

“Hi,” he said when he reached her.

“You’re on time,” she observed. “That’s nice. Most of my friends are continuously unpunctual.”

Kurt watched as she took a white lighter out of her pocket and lit the cigarette now poking out of her lips. He wondered what sort of friends she had. “It’s no problem,” he answered awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

Melanie sucked on the cigarette, tucking the lighter away, and then blew out smoke before replying. “Well, my friend should be here soon. Soon-ish. He tends to be late. But anyway, then we can go somewhere. What do you usually do for fun?”

Kurt opened his mouth, but found that he didn’t have a ready answer. What _did_ he do for fun? He sang. He watched TV. He hung out with Rachel. He went to movies…well. He’d gone to movies with Blaine a lot. He’d also gone to dinner with Blaine, gone bowling with Blaine, mini-golfed with Blaine, went to Blaine’s house…

Now that he didn’t have Blaine, his options seemed a lot narrower. He shrugged in response to Melanie. “It depends,” he said simply.

Melanie grinned. “Tonight will be fun. I promise.” She looked behind her at the house. “I’d invite you in,” she said apologetically, “but I can’t actually go inside while I’m smoking. Do you mind waiting on the porch? I can get drinks from the garage.”

Kurt found himself nodding. “Okay.”

“Be right back,” Melanie flashed him a smile and then made her way to the detached garage across the driveway. Kurt watched her go, chewing his lip.

She returned with two cans of Diet Coke and handed him one. They settled onto the very expensive-looking wooden deck chairs on the front porch. Melanie leaned back, closed her eyes, and took a long drag on her cigarette.

“So…” Kurt said, feeling slightly uncomfortable. “You smoke?”

Melanie laughed at that, wisps of smoke dispelled from her mouth as she chuckled. She turned to face him. “Yes,” she answered. “I smoke. But I will not peer-pressure you to join me in it, and we won’t be visiting any seedy bars tonight.”

Kurt laughed then, too, although it was slightly out of relief. She seemed to know exactly what he was worrying. “Sorry,” he apologized.

She waved her hand, smiling. “It’s fine. A lot of straight-edge people assume the worst, you’re not alone. But I’m not the stereotype, either.”

They fell into a relaxed silence then. After a few moments, a chime sounded and Melanie pulled out her phone. She held to her ear and answered. “Where are you?”

She listened for a second. “Good. Hurry up. Well, no, don’t speed or anything. I don’t want you to die. But don’t dawdle. Okay, bye.”

She hung up and put her phone back into her pocket. “Just a few more minutes,” she assured Kurt.

Kurt took a sip of his soda. “You’ve got an incredible house,” he noted.

Melanie nodded. “Thanks! Its biggest flaw is the large amount of smoke detectors. But other than that it’s pretty nice.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, but already he felt just as comfortable with Melanie as he had at the Lima Bean. There was something about her that just put him at ease.

They chatted for a few minutes before they heard the sound of a car pulling up. Melanie flicked her cigarette and smiled. “Here he is.”

A sleek, dark car drove up and parked right in front of the house. The driver-side door opened and a figure stepped out. He turned towards the porch and waved-  
Kurt’s jaw dropped. “No way,” he breathed.

“Huh?” Melanie asked, but the boy in the driveway cut her off.

“Okay!” he said, exasperated. “I’m here. The fun can begin now.”

He began making his way towards the porch. Kurt panicked. How had this happened? How could this possibly have happened?

“So,” Sebastian said as he stepped up to the porch. “This is the guy you-“

Sebastian stopped short, staring at Kurt. Kurt stared right back. There was a moment of strained silence. Melanie looked from one boy to the other and then asked, “Okay, what the hell is going on?”

Sebastian turned to her. “Why is he here?”

“I told you, I was inviting someone else.”

Sebastian looked at Kurt again before laughing. “No way. You meant _him_?”

Kurt stood. “I’m _right here_ ,” he pointed out.

Sebastian laughed again. “Mel, are you joking?”

Melanie cocked one of her eyebrows. “No. This is Kurt. I met him the other day in the coffee shop.”

“Oh my _God_ ,” Sebastian said.

“Please explain what’s going on,” Melanie begged.

Kurt sighed, turning to the dark-haired girl. “Sebastian and I have some…history.”

“Like, bad history?”

Sebastian laughed humorlessly. “Like World War Two bad history.”

“I don’t know,” Kurt said, crossing his arms. “I don’t think Hitler ever tried to steal Churchill’s boyfriend.”

“Is that really the best you’ve got?” Sebastian asked. “That was pathetic.”

“Well you’ve got the monopoly on ‘pathetic’, Smythe.”

“Stop!” Melanie said, stepping between the boys. “Both of you sit down.”

She looked scarily determined. Kurt slowly lowered himself back into his chair. Glowering, Sebastian sat in Melanie’s spot.

Melanie stood in front of them. She took a long drag on her cigarette before speaking. “Okay. Now. Kurt, tell me about your past with Sebastian,”

“Hey!” Sebastian protested. “Why does _he_ get to tell it?”

Melanie narrowed her eyes at Sebastian. “What are you, four? Get over it. Kurt’s a guest.” She turned back to Kurt. “Go on.”

Kurt sighed. “I met Sebastian because he was hitting on my boyfriend. He attempted and failed to take him from me. He also tried to physically harm me and ended up blinding my boyfriend.”

Even as Kurt told the story, his chest began to hurt. Just talking about Blaine was painful. He knew he should stop using the word _boyfriend_. He also knew that since he wasn’t with Blaine anymore, Sebastian wasn’t particularly any sort of threat. That didn’t stop the flare of anger that rose in him when he looked at the snarky-faced boy, though.

Melanie raised her eyebrows at Sebastian. “You _blinded_ somebody?”

Sebastian glanced down, not meeting her eyes, “Only temporarily,” he muttered. “In one eye.”

“Oh my God,” Melanie said.

“But!” Sebastian interjected suddenly. “We made amends. I apologized, and we sang a nice song at Regionals, and we all got over it.”

Kurt scoffed. “It’s not that _easy_.”

Sebastian looked away, not answering.

Melanie sighed. She sucked on her cigarette, thinking. Finally, she said, “Well, here’s the deal. I like both of you. I think you’re both wonderful people. So you’re either gonna play nice with eachother, for _me_ , or you’re going to leave and I’ll spend the night eating ice cream on my porch and watching Greek like a loser.”

Kurt glanced over at Sebastian. Their eyes met for a moment. While Kurt still highly disliked the guy, he saw something in his eyes, for a brief moment, that for some reason made him say, “Fine. I’ll stay.” Kurt wasn’t about to be the one to back down.

Sebastian’s expression hardened. “I’m game.”

They both turned to look at Melanie, and she smiled. “That’s better. Now let’s get the fuck out of here.”  



	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big round of applause for my beta, [Susan](stardustgifts.tumblr.com).

Melanie had called shotgun, so Kurt found himself sitting in the back seat of Sebastian Smythe’s convertible Audi, racing through the streets of Lima. His hair was going to look awful by the time they stopped; Kurt hated convertible cars.

“Where are we going?” he half-yelled. Another thing that was annoying about cars without roofs-it’s  _loud_.

“Just this spot we have,” Melanie replied, which didn’t really answer the question. Kurt rolled his eyes, leaning back against the headrest.

They pulled into the parking lot for a bowling alley and drove to the very back corner. Sebastian parked, and they all got out.

“This way,” Melanie instructed. She walked away from the bowling alley and towards the fence that bordered the parking lot. It was surrounded by high bushes. She pushed through them, Sebastian following closely and Kurt taking up the end. There was a very hidden gate in the fence that Melanie wrenched open. They filed through and found themselves in a wooded area. In the distance, Kurt could see flat green grass.

“Where are we?” he asked.

“Country club,” Sebastian answered. “I don’t expect you’ve ever been.”

Kurt sneered at him, but kept in his rude comments. As he looked around he could tell that they were, in fact, at the edge of a golf course.

“Come on,” Melanie said, turning and walking through the trees. She led them to a clearing. The golf course was barely visible from here, and when Kurt looked up he could see a patch of darkening sky.

Melanie plopped down on the ground, unconcerned about getting dirt on her jean short-shorts. She pulled another cigarette out of the carton in her pocket and lit it up. Sebastian sat next to her. Kurt watched them for a moment, thought about his moderately-priced jeans, and then joined them, completing a circle of sorts.

“So, what?” Kurt asked, feeling slightly left out. “You guys come here to smoke?” It sounded endlessly infantile when he said it out loud.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “No, no. She smokes. I drink.” He reached into the inside of his jacket and pulled out a silver flask, shaking it slightly so they could all hear the liquid sloshing inside of it. He opened it and took a swig.

“We have a pact,” Melanie explained. “If I die first, he gets my liver. If he dies first, I get his lungs.”

Sebastian held up his flask. “I’ll drink to that!” he said emphatically, then took another drink. Kurt hoped he didn’t plan on driving any time soon.

Kurt looked around the clearing. It was pretty, but also kind of creepy in the dimness. “What now?” he asked.

“Calm your tits, Hummel,” Sebastian said. “We’ll chill out here for a while before moving on. There’s plenty of shit to do around town.”

Kurt sighed. “How do you two know each other, anyway?”

Sebastian and Melanie shared a look and then both laughed slightly. “We’ve known eachother forever,” Melanie told Kurt. “Like, since birth or something.”

Sebastian tossed his flask(now sealed tight) into the air and caught it. “Family friends,” he said. “Our parents would have us play together while they went out to charity events and galas and teas and whatnot.”

Melanie nodded. “Obnoxious rich people stuff,” she added. Kurt snorted.

“I lived in Westerville until two years ago,” Melanie said. “I moved to Lima for my junior and senior years.”

Kurt’s eyebrows furrowed. “Where do you go to school?”

“ _Went_  to school,” she corrected. “I graduated last week.” She paused for a moment to breathe in her cigarette. “I went to a private school. Lawrence Prep.”

Kurt knew of the school. It was on the outskirts of Lima. An all-girls’ school, if he remembered correctly.

“It absolutely sucked,” Melanie told him. Kurt nodded, but Sebastian laughed.

“As if you would know,” he said. “It’s not like you ever went to class.”

Melanie huffed out smoke. “Don’t judge me, Sebastian. At least I didn’t have to cheat on any of my finals.”

Sebastian’s face fell at that, and he looked down at his lap. Kurt realized then that he’s never seen Sebastian frown before. The expression he wore was more sincere and innocent than anything Kurt had ever recognized on his face. It almost made him seem more human. Melanie looked slightly apologetic. Kurt tried to break the silence by saying the first thing that came to mind, which was probably not the most  _tactful_  thing.

“Melanie, if you’re so rich why do you work at the Lima Bean?”

Melanie looked at Kurt and laughed. After a moment, Sebastian joined in. “That’s a good question,” Melanie said finally.

“You’re going to have to tell him,” Sebastian teased.

“I am not ashamed!” Melanie insisted, waving her cigarette wildly and bringing the burning tip alarmingly close to Kurt’s face.

“Then tell him!” Sebastian urged.

Melanie sighed, flicking her cigarette. “Fine. So, yes, I’m rich. Like rich enough to not need a day-job. Except, well…I was kind of,  _cut off_  by my parents.”

Sebastian chuckled.

“Why?” Kurt asked, and Sebastian full out laughed. Melanie heaved another sigh.

“Because I was caught smoking weed while ditching class at the beginning of the year.”

Kurt’s eyebrows went up.

“I know!” Melanie said quickly. “I know. I’m so stupid. Getting caught was the worst thing  _ever_. I just really didn’t want to leave my car, because I was lazy, but smoking while parked in front of the principal’s office is really dumb. But I thought it would be, like, the last place they’d suspect!”

Sebastian had leaned back so he was actually lying on the ground and laughing. “It’s still funny, every time I hear it,” he said.

Melanie rolled her eyes. “Anyway, after that they wouldn’t give me money anymore. I mean, they still pay for my education and stuff because that’s important. But no spending money. I guess it makes sense. They probably had to pay the school a shitload to stop them from expelling me.”

Kurt wondered momentarily what it would be like to be able to  _bribe_  people. He sighed. “So you work at the Lima Bean now?”

Melanie nodded. “Yep. Have all year.”

Sebastian popped up then, leaning towards Kurt. “That’s why I was always there,” he said to Kurt quietly. Even in the depleting light, Kurt could see that Sebastian’s pupils were large and dark, his cheeks flushed red. He was at least marginally drunk. “In the coffee shop,” he continued. “Because I was hanging out with Mel. Not because I was stalking you and your loser friends.”

“Be nice,” Melanie said absently, looking up at the stars.

Kurt had a whole slew of retorts for Sebastian, but held them in at Melanie’s words.  _Be nice_. What a thought.  
  
…

  
After sitting in the clearing for a bit longer, the trio returned to Sebastian’s car. Melanie took over driving, and they pulled out of the bowling alley parking lot. “Should we see a movie?” she asked.

Sebastian stuck his hand slightly out of the car to feel the wind going by. “I don’t care.”

“Let’s go to the drive-in,” Melanie suggested. Neither of the boys protested, so she turned on the radio and began singing along with the pop song playing as she drove.

On the outskirts of Lima there was a drive-in movie theater. Kurt hadn’t been to it since he was a child. Most of the movies they played were horrible low-budget productions, so it wasn’t a particularly popular destination. It was a miracle it managed to stay in business, really.

They paid their five dollars for the car and pulled into the lot. Sebastian’s smooth Audi was by far the nicest car there. Melanie and Sebastian got out of the car and Kurt followed suit, thankful that he wouldn’t be awkwardly stuck in the backseat behind them. Sebastian went to go buy two large popcorns while Kurt and Melanie settled on the hood of Sebastian’s car, leaning onto the windshield. Sebastian returned just as the movie began, sitting on Melanie’s other side.

It was some terribly-done Dracula spin off. It tried to be scary but the gore and suspense were all so fake that Kurt ended up laughing. However, every time something jumped out or someone was suddenly wounded, Melanie cringed or even cried out, crushing whatever popcorn was in her hand.

“Are you  _actually_ scared?” Kurt asked thirty minutes into the movie.

“Shut up,” Melanie responded, curling her knees up to her chest. “I’m not good with horror movies.”

“This isn’t a horror movie,” Sebastian scoffed. “This is practically a comedy.”

Kurt chuckled and looked up. For a moment, his eyes met Sebastian’s over Melanie’s head. Kurt could see the reflection of the bright projected movie on his eyes, half of his face lit up and the other in deep darkness.

They both looked away quickly, shaking their heads. Throughout the movie they continued to lightly tease Melanie.

Kurt tuned out a lot of the film-it wasn’t particularly enrapturing-and just thought. He thought about Blaine and how if they were still together, they’d probably be on a date now. Sitting in Kurt’s room or on the swingset in the park, kissing and discussing how it was Kurt’s last night of high school. He thought about all the summer plans they’d thought of in advance that would now have to be cancelled. All the potential that was erased.

He also thought about how he was sitting here, on the hood of an expensive car, next to a girl who smelled of smoke and grass. He was watching an awful movie with two people he hardly knew-one of which he’d previously despised, and the other who he was really quite fond of. He thought of their stop in the clearing, Melanie and Sebastian’s “spot.” He thought of how strange this whole situation was. He was spending time with a boy who drank and a girl who smoked. He knew very well that this is what his father would call ‘a bad crowd,’ the kind of kids that you’re supposedly warned about. Kurt never pictured himself associating with anyone who’d nearly been expelled for doing drugs. Then again, he’d always assumed that these people all looked like Puck, or Quinn during that peculiar ‘Skank’ stage she went through. Melanie, on the other hand, seemed smart and kind and driven and passionate. She was nothing like the stereotypical burnout. She was going to go somewhere in life, because she exuded vitality and determination. Kurt had only spoken to her a handful of times, but he already knew this.

Sebastian, of course, was less easy to excuse. He’d been the cause of Blaine’s hospitalization and had tried to blackmail Finn.

On second thought, Sebastian was definitely still in the ‘bad crowd’ category. Kurt would just tolerate him tonight, for Melanie’s sake.

The movie ended and the screen went dark, leaving them all blinking in the sudden absence of light.

The three brushed popcorn kernels off of their clothing and got back into the car, Melanie still driving.

“Home again, home again?” Melanie inquired once they were all settled in.

Sebastian ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah, sure. I’ve got school tomorrow, anyway.”

“You want to make the drive tomorrow morning?” Melanie asked, her voice tinged with concern.

“Yeah it’s fine.”

Nodding resolutely, Melanie turned on the engine and headed back towards her house.  
  
…

  
When they pulled in to Melanie’s driveway, Kurt got out of the car and stood awkwardly for a second. Melanie and Sebastian both headed immediately for the house, leaving him behind. He sighed, feeling excluded, and turned to head to his car. Melanie hadn’t even said goodbye. Maybe she didn’t like him very much anyway.

“Kurt!” he heard, and he turned to see Melanie looking at him from the porch. “Where the hell are you going?”

Kurt’s eyebrows creased in confusion. “Um…home.”

Melanie chuckled lightly. “Don’t do that, silly. Can’t you spend the night here?”

Kurt’s mouth opened slightly in surprise. He realized that she must have just  _assumed_  he was going to stay. She hadn’t said goodbye because it wasn’t goodbye yet. She invited him over effortlessly, like it was no big deal at all even though they’d just met. He was slightly touched.

Sebastian stood in front of the door, his foot tapping impatiently.

Kurt thought over his options for a moment. He could stay here, with Melanie, who was quickly becoming one of his favorite people, and  _Sebastian_ , who admittedly had been pretty tolerable this evening, past transgressions aside. Or he could go home and sleep in his room, where he’d probably end up finding a bottle of hair gel or some forgotten sock of Blaine’s, or even just replay the numerous boyfriend-y memories from that space, and end up falling asleep with his eyes moist and red, as he had every night for almost a week.

Kurt nodded at Melanie. “Yeah, just let me call my dad.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A+ betaing on this chapter was performed by [Susan](stardustgifts.tumblr.com). I hope you enjoy it!

“Straight. Suck on that, Brooks!” Sebastian tossed down his cards. Melanie sighed.

They were sitting in what Melanie deemed the ‘den’. The furniture looked too expensive for any den that Kurt had ever been in, but then again, he’d never been in such a nice house.

Melanie’s parents had been home when they’d come in. Kurt had only seen her mother, who had been drinking a glass of water at the kitchen table(separate, of course, from the dining room table) and looking over some papers. She was thin like Melanie, with sharp cheekbones and brown wavy hair cut in a bob. She’d glanced up when her daughter and the two boys had walked in.

“Hello.”

Melanie waved as she made her way to the fridge. “Hey, Mom. This is my friend Kurt.”

The woman slowly turned her gaze to Kurt and smiled slightly. “Hello, dear.”

“Hi!” Kurt responded, trying to be polite but sounding too enthusiastic in his own ears. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. You have a beautiful house.”

Melanie’s mother smiled in full then. “Thank you,” she responded. “The pleasure is mine, Kurt. You’re staying here tonight?”

Before Kurt could answer, Melanie spoke up. “Yep. We’ll be in the den.”

She led the way out of the room, Sebastian at her heels. Kurt smiled once more at Melanie’s mom before following suit.

“Goodnight, Melanie!” she called out, but the teenagers were already gone.

Once they’d arrived in the lavishly decorated den, Sebastian and Melanie had decided to play strip poker. Sebastian had finished off his flask on the drive home from the movie, and was now far past tipsy. Kurt had opted out of the game, instead sitting against the couch and sipping his can of Diet Coke.

“That’s no fun,” Sebastian had complained when Kurt said he didn’t want to play. “Mel and I have already seen eachother naked.”

“Come on,” Melanie had coaxed him. “We’ll give Kurt a show.”

So now Sebastian sat on the ground, still wearing an undershirt, his pants, and one sock. Melanie had taken the risk of going into the game much less prepared, wearing considerably less clothing than her opponent. She was very good at poker, however, which somewhat made up for it. Now, however, Sebastian had just laid down the hand that would finally force her to show some considerable skin. She began to tug off her tank top. She revealed the smooth, pale skin of her torso and a dark green bra. She tossed the tank top to the side and began dealing cards again. “Calm down, Smythe,” Melanie teased back. “You’ll be the first one shimmying out of your Calvin Kleins.”

Kurt looked around the room, observing the plush, velvet furniture, the huge flat-screen TV, the dark wood shelves full of thick books and framed photos and various elegant decorational knick-knacks. He didn’t speak much, just listening to Melanie and Sebastian’s chatter, watching them play with the cards. He didn’t know how to play poker, and even if he did he certainly wasn’t going to take off his clothing in front of his arch-nemesis. Or a girl he’d just met, for that matter. He wasn’t prudish, but he had his limits.

In the warm room with his fizzy drink and the first vestiges of sleepiness descending over him, he felt relaxed for the first time in a long time. He’d had NYADA auditions and concern over financial aid and finals and, of course, extreme emotional wear from the breakup. Here, in this strange environment, he finally felt somehow comfortable, un-stressed for the first time in weeks.

He was beginning to yawn by the time Sebastian was topless. To Kurt’s relief, the two others decided to call off their game then too. Kurt didn’t feel entirely ready to see  _all_  of Sebastian. They collected their cards and articles of clothing and empty soda cans and headed upstairs.

Melanie led them to her room. Kurt knew that there had to be at least one guest room-how could there not be, in a house so large?-but she prepared her bed for them to sleep in anyway. It made Kurt feel cozy and included, that she wanted to sleep in the same room. It was the sort of things friends did.  _And that’s what we are_ , Kurt mused.  _Melanie is fast becoming my friend_.

Sebastian pulled off his pants once they got into the room, leaving only his boxers, and hopped into Melanie’s queen-sized bed straight away. Kurt tried to hide his automatic blush at the near-nudity. Melanie rolled her eyes and asked Kurt, “Do you want to borrow stuff to sleep in?”

Sebastian muttered something about women’s clothing from the far side of the bed, but Kurt resolutely ignored him. “That’d be great.”

A few minutes later Kurt emerged from Melanie’s bathroom wearing a large pair of her sweatpants, which still didn’t quite reach his ankles, and a sleep shirt which fit well enough. Melanie had set up a cot on the floor with pillows and blankets. “You can have the bed,” she offered. “I don’t mind sleeping on the floor.”

Kurt arched his eyebrows. “With  _Sebastian_?” He couldn’t help but ascertain. Sebastian was turned towards the wall, snoring lightly. Kurt didn’t really want to be that close to the boy for such a long period of time. Especially when he wasn’t conscious. He feared he might never wake up.

She shrugged. “Or you could crash on the floor with me and let him have the whole bed.”

Kurt narrowed his eyes. That bastard wasn’t going to have the whole bed to himself while Kurt slept on the floor. “I’ll take the bed,” he said.

Melanie laughed. “Altruistic punishment,” she commented. “Do you mind if I open the window and smoke?”

Kurt could tell that this was something she did with frequency from the way she said it, and he knew that Sebastian would never mind. Somehow he wanted to prove that he was just as good a friend, if not better, than the snarky boy. “That’s fine,” he replied.

She pulled open the window, allowing in the cool summer night air. “I’ll get you up in the morning,” she said. “Is six-thirty good?”

Kurt nodded, watching as she pulled cigarettes out from behind her vanity. “That’s great, thank you.” He walked past her to the bed. Previously he’d been appalled at the thought of sharing blankets with Sebastian Smythe, but with the window open the room was quickly becoming chilly. Kurt pulled back the covers and slid in, keeping a good ten inches between him and Sebastian.

“Goodnight, Kurt,” Melanie said from where she sat on the windowsill. Kurt could see her figure silhouetted in the dim moonlight from outside, smoke curling from her mouth.

“Goodnight, Melanie.”

Kurt closed his eyes and thought to himself,  _if someone had told me a week ago that I’d be sharing a bed with Sebastian Smythe, I would have laughed. And slapped them._

But a lot of things can change in a week.  
  
…  
  
Melanie opened her eyes to see sunlight on her ceiling.

The room smelled of summer air and sleep. She loved these moments in just waking, especially on an early summer morning. Those few minutes when she could loll in bed, trying to remember her dreams and slowly bringing herself back to reality.

She sat up. The window was still cracked open so that last night’s smoky smell would disperse. The sun had already risen but was very low in the sky. Glancing at her clock, she saw that it was just after six.

Melanie stood and stretched, reaching up towards the ceiling and then down to her toes. She decided to go downstairs and make coffee before waking the boys.

She looked at them then, lying on her bed, both faces peaceful in sleep. While they’d begun the night with a modest amount of space between them, they’d breached it during their slumbers. Sebastian still faced the wall, but was much closer to the center of the bed. Kurt now faced towards Sebastian also, his hair unstyled, making him seem so much younger. Melanie smiled slightly. She really had yet to see Kurt’s face without any creases in it, any worry or frustration or sadness. She knew that he was hurt. She knew the feeling, and she wanted so much to erase the lines on his face, to make his waking hours as peaceful as his dreams.

As she watched, Kurt shifted. He moved his arm outwards, and ended up touching Sebastian. Melanie knew that Seb wouldn’t be able to feel it. When he crashed after drinking, he was dead to the world. Instead of curling away from the contact, though, Kurt moved his arm further, resting it on Sebastian’s shoulder. Kurt smiled slightly in his sleep, looking positively angelic.

“Mmmm,” Kurt muttered. “ _Blaine_.”

Melanie opened her mouth slightly, and then sighed. The poor boy.

Knowing that neither of them would be comfortable with the situation if they were to awake, Melanie moved forward and gently lifted Kurt’s hand, pulling it back to his own body. Kurt grumbled softly, but his sleeping form accepted the adjustment well enough. Melanie pressed a kiss to his temple and then retreated, looking at them one more time.

She turned and headed downstairs to start the coffeemaker.


	5. Chapter 5

“Kurt!”

Kurt smiled as Rachel reached forward to hug him. “Hey, Rachel.”

“Come on in!” she insisted, moving aside. “Nearly everyone is here. My dads are upstairs, and they said they wouldn’t bother us.”

Kurt nodded and headed downstairs with Rachel to her basement. He clenched his teeth slightly, trying to block out the memories of Rachel’s last party, which he had of course attended with Blaine.

Most of the Glee club was assembled in the basement, and music pounded through the speakers. Some people were still wearing red graduation caps or unzipped robes, Mike’s swirling around him rapidly as he and Tina danced wildly together, Brittany’s hitched up to her thighs as she straddled Santana on a couch. Kurt smiled in that moment as he stood there and simply observed his peers and their post-graduation euphoria. Kurt had gone home before coming to Rachel’s, where he’d changed clothes and received some final emotional congratulations from his dad. It was such a relief to realize that all of this was finally _done with_. He had survived high school and would never have to go back. From now on, his future was upon him.

Finn caught sight of Kurt and waved him in. Kurt complied, entering the room fully and joining the party.

…

 

Melanie sat on the guest room balcony-she’d always been a little annoyed that her parents didn’t let her have a room with a balcony, but since they didn’t have guests often it didn’t matter too much-smoking and reading _A Farewell To Arms_. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She reluctantly set down the book to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Mel.” It was Sebastian.

“Hey. You’re interrupting me.”

“Were you doing something terribly important?” Sebastian asked sardonically.

“Yeah. I was reading.”

Sebastian scoffed. “You need to redefine your meaning of ‘important.’”

Melanie rolled her eyes. “At least I can _spell_ ‘important.’”

“Stop being pretentious. You’re living up to your money.”

Melanie sighed. “What do you want?”

Sebastian paused, which Melanie found strange. “It’s about something you said the other day.”

“What?”

“Well…” Sebastian sounded unsure of himself, which made Melanie listen even harder. “When you were telling me that you ‘invited someone to hang with us,’ before I knew it was Princess Hummel-“

“Hey!” Melanie interrupted, but Sebastian ignored her.

“You said that…he was getting over a breakup.”

Melanie’s eyebrows creased. “Yeah, he is.”

“With Blaine?”

Melanie shrugged, forgetting that Sebastian couldn’t see her. “I think so. I’m not sure he ever told me the name.”

“Hmm,” Sebastian hummed. “Okay, well, thanks.”

“Why do you ask?”

“No reason.”

Melanie was highly suspicious of his tone. “Hey, Seb, don’t-“

“I’ve gotta go, Melanie. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Hey, wait-“

Sebastian hung up. Melanie stared at her phone screen for a second, confused and slightly unsettled, before picking up her book again.

…

 

Kurt laughed loudly, whirling Mercedes around with little regard to the beat of the music. Rachel had turned out the lights in favor of the strobe light that Artie and Sam had somehow produced. The music all night had been an eclectic mix of Broadway and hip-hop, Dubstep and jazz. People kept intercepting the speakers and plugging their own iPods in, on shuffle until someone else took over. It was a party which only a Glee club could throw-at any given moment at least one person was singing harmonies or doing a choreographed dance.

Kurt was nearly overwhelmed by the lights and sounds and people. Admittedly, he wasn’t 100% sober. While he’d started out the night well enough, he kept coming back to memories of Blaine, stronger in this place of significant shared history. He’d ended up sitting on the couch and watching everyone else dance and talk and laugh, feeling sorry for himself whenever he saw a couple kiss or hold hands or just _look_ at eachother. So when Puck approached him and offered him a splash of God-knows-what was in the water bottle he had tucked in his jacket, Kurt gamely held out his soda cup. While his one and only previous experience with drinking had been terrible, he’d figured that he couldn’t really feel any worse than he already did. And after the first drink, Kurt asked for another. And after the second drink, he felt much better about life in general.

_No wonder Sebastian drinks so much_ , some tiny part of his mind contemplated. _Being intoxicated must help him forget he’s a terrible person._

Kurt danced with all his friends, feeling wild and free. For the first time all week, he totally forgot about Blaine for a complete chunk of time. It was absolutely liberating.

Finn drove Kurt home, and they tip-toed upstairs to their rooms, not wanting to wake their parents. Kurt collapsed in his bed, pulling off his clothing but not bothering to wash his face or anything else. He crawled under his covers and drifted into a heavy sleep, smiling as he drifted away for the second night in a row.

…

 

Kurt was sitting at a picnic table with Rachel and Finn (who were kindly trying not to be _too_ couple-y) and chatting when Santana and Brittany approached.

Santana forwent the bench in favor of sitting on the table in front of Kurt. “Hey, baby face.”

Kurt took a deep breath, trying not to lash out. Santana usually meant well. “Yes?”

“What exactly happened between you and bowtie-fetish?”

Kurt looked at her hard for a moment, and then glanced at Brittany, who was standing next to them, listening intently. Kurt turned back to Santana. “We broke up, Santana. I thought you’d be clever enough to figure that out.”

The cheerleader rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, but how come?”

Kurt bit the inside of his cheek, taking a moment before replying, “It’s not really any of your business, is it?”

Rachel and Finn were watching the conversation with semi-worried looks, but weren’t actually _doing_ anything. Santana chuckled. “Sweetie, everything that happens at this school is my business if I make it so.”

Kurt stood up and crossed his arms. “Santana, we graduated last night. Please tell me you’re mature enough to realize that nothing that happens at ‘this school’ matters anymore.”

Santana smiled sweetly, not leaving her place at the table. “Still school hours, isn’t it? Come on, Kurt, we all want to know. Was it a _scandal_?”

Brittany chose that moment to speak up. “Kurtsie, we’re just curious. Can’t you tell us why you and Blaine aren’t in love anymore?”

And at that, Kurt’s chest practically erupted in pain. Because she was wrong, Brittany was. It wasn’t that they weren’t _in love_ anymore, because Kurt sure as hell still loved Blaine. It just wasn’t reciprocated.

So then Kurt said the first thing that came to mind. “Fuck off.”

He turned and marched away.

“Kurt! Kurt!” Rachel was calling after him, and within a few seconds she caught up to him. She’d left Finn behind.

“Kurt, please stop.”

Kurt laughed humorlessly. “Why? Why bother? I should just leave now. There’s absolutely nothing at this school that I care about anymore.”

Rachel stopped trying to keep up with him then, stopping completely. Kurt paused and turned to see that she was wearing a hurt expression. “ _I’m_ still here, Kurt,” she said.

Kurt stopped and sighed. “I’m sorry, Rachel. I just…”

“You’re heartbroken,” she finished. “I know the feeling. And I don’t blame you.”

The short girl held her arms open, and Kurt obligingly stepped forward and let her hug him. They were almost to the parking lot where he was parked. He thought about leaving. They didn’t take attendance at the senior picnic anyway. He’d just come to be with his graduating class for a few more hours, and now that was ruined.

He knew that somewhere on campus Blaine was sitting in a desk. Was it fifth period now? He’d be in Chemistry. Two weeks ago, after fifth period, they’d meet at Kurt’s locker and walk to the foreign language wing together, holding hands and chatting about their day.

Every single hour of every day since Blaine had broken up with him, Kurt had remembered something he missed about their relationship. It was exhausting to be so sad all the time, but he couldn’t help it.

“Thanks, Rachel,” he muttered into her hair.

She pulled back slightly. “No problem. And I’m pretty sure Finn’s offer to beat him up still stands.”

Kurt laughed weakly, bringing one of his hands up to wipe at his eyes. “I’m glad I’ll have you next year.”

Rachel smiled at him earnestly. “You’ll have me all summer, too, sweetie.”

Kurt nodded, though he knew that wasn’t 100% true. Finn had finally decided he wasn’t going to New York with them. He hadn’t opted to go to California with Puck, either. He was going to stay in Lima for another year, working at the tire shop to save up some money, spending some weekends in New York, and then figure out what he wanted to do. A limbo sort of year. And Kurt knew that Rachel was going to spend as much time as she could with him before they left for NYADA at the end of August. She meant well, but Kurt knew he wouldn’t have her full attention for the next couple months.

He wouldn’t really have anyone’s full attention, he realized. All of his friends were moving on, into their futures. This summer would have been about spending as much possible time with Blaine before college if he were still with Blaine. But now that he was single, his whole calendar had been wiped clean until he left for his own future at the end of the summer. This was more or less a limbo for him. Three months of blank in-between time. What on Earth was he going to do?

“Let’s go back,” Rachel suggested. “There’s just another hour of school. One more hour of high school. You’ll make it.”

Kurt nodded resolutely. “I know.”

Arm-in-arm, they walked back to the quad where their friends were gathered.


	6. Chapter 6

Melanie called Kurt on Saturday morning.

“You want to come over?” she asked.

“Um, sure,” Kurt replied. So far the first day of summer vacation had been rather uneventful for him. He was still laying in bed with the latest copy of _Vogue_. “Just us?”

“Yes, just you and me. Quality friend time. Sound good?”

Kurt smiled slightly. “Sounds good. I’ll be over in an hour.”

…

Melanie answered the door when Kurt rang the doorbell. He followed her inside, once again slightly marveling at the size of the place. “My parents aren’t here right now,” she told him. “Mom’s working and Dad has some sort of meeting.”

“What do your parents do?” Kurt asked, wondering what sort of professions allowed for this much wealth.

“Mom’s a surgeon, Dad’s on city council. We also have a lot of inheritance, if you’re wondering. Old money bullshit. Though I guess that’s how I met Sebastian.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow. They’d reached the kitchen, and Melanie was opening the fridge and examining its contents. “Old money?” he inquired.

“Yeah,” she replied, closing the fridge empty-handed. “You know, posh upper-class rituals and whatnot. My family knows his because for generations we’ve all been stuck-up douchebags who liked to laugh at poor people together or something.” She shrugged, leaning on the counter and facing Kurt. “I kind of hate being rich sometimes.”

Kurt couldn’t help himself; he laughed. “You _hate_ being rich?”

Melanie smiled bashfully. “Well, yeah. I know that sounds dumb. Like, I don’t hate the money part of it. Obviously it’s nice to not have to worry about money and whatnot. But the whole _status_ part of it pisses me off. If I came from a family of humble and generous involved citizens I might think differently. But I don’t.”

Kurt sighed. “Still sounds better than the alternative.”

Melanie crossed her arms. “How’s your relationship with your dad?” she asked.

Kurt was startled by the abrupt subject change. “Um, it’s great.”

“He supports you?”

“Absolutely.” Kurt couldn’t tell where this was going.

“Loves you more than anything?”

“Uh, yeah, I think so.”

Melanie nodded as though she’d proven something. “My father cares far more about his reputation than he does about me. My mom’s not so bad, but my dad really cares about status. He refused to talk to me for two weeks straight after I made a scene at an abortion protest. I got in the paper for it, actually; these assholes were picketing outside a clinic with moronic signs proclaiming the inhumanity of abortion. I gave a very informed retort to them, and then, when they refused to see reason…well, I sort of screamed at them. Anyway, my dad didn’t like seeing someone with _his_ surname in the paper for ‘making a fool of themselves,’” Melanie used her fingers to make air quotes. “So he gave me the silent treatment for fifteen days. I counted.”

Kurt stared at Melanie, his jaw slackened slightly. He couldn’t imagine his father _ignoring_ him, let alone for weeks on end. “I…I’m sorry, Melanie.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, me too. I mean, I’m over it at this point. But that’s why I don’t like being rich.”

She pushed herself off the counter and headed towards the stairs. “Come on,” she said to Kurt. “Let’s do something fun. I’m tired of sob stories.”

…

 

Kurt and Melanie watched movies on the huge TV in her room, critically analyzing romantic comedies and constantly yelling at the characters who couldn’t hear them. They discussed media and music and bad stereotypes and politics. It was so refreshing to have someone _new_ to talk to, someone with whom he hadn’t already covered every subject with. Kurt had forgotten what it was like to get to know someone, opposed to having been friends with a person for a long time.

Melanie didn’t ask many questions about Kurt’s social life, but when she did Kurt got to present it in any way he wanted-Melanie knew nothing of the McKinley High social dynamic, nothing of Kurt’s past. He could be whoever he wanted. It was freeing in a way he hadn’t previously understood.

At around five-thirty, there was a knock on the door. It startled Kurt-he hadn’t even known they weren’t alone anymore. He wasn’t used to being in a house so big that you couldn’t hear your family member’s footsteps.

“Yeah!” Melanie called, and the door opened. Melanie’s mother peeked in to the room.

“Melanie, sweetie, dinner at six.”

“Right,” Melanie said, finding the remote and pausing the movie. “This is Kurt, Mom, remember?”

Mrs. Brooks smiled at Kurt. “Yes, hello, Kurt.”

“Hello,” Kurt answered.

“Will you be joining us for dinner?” she asked.

“Oh, if it’s not any-“

Melanie cut him off. “Yeah, he’ll be here.”

Mrs. Brooks nodded slowly. “Well, remember, six o’clock.”

She left, closing the door behind her, but Melanie didn’t play the movie again. She seemed to be contemplating something. Turning to Kurt, she said, “Look, I don’t want to salt the wounds, or anything, but…what was your ex’s name?”

Kurt took a slow breath. “Blaine.” Melanie nodded, prompting Kurt to ask, “why?”

Melanie shrugged, but there was a trace of worry in her expression. “Just wanted a name to put to the asshole’s face.”

Kurt smiled slightly. Melanie returned it, and then unpaused the movie.

They watched it for another twenty minutes, and then made their way downstairs. Kurt followed Melanie into the dining room adjacent to the kitchen, where a large table was set with white-and-black dishes. Huge family portraits from various years were hung up on the walls, depicting Melanie as a toddler all the way up to a middle schooler. Kurt recognized her mother, looking a bit younger and with fewer wrinkles. The man in them who must have been Melanie’s father was tall, with broad shoulders. He had a strong jaw and thinning brown hair. He looked precisely like one would expect a politician to appear.

Melanie pulled out a chair on the side of the table, and gestured for Kurt to sit in the one next to it. The chairs were wood, with plush fabric which matched the table cloth. Kurt was busy admiring the single-minded determination to complimentary colors when Melanie’s mother walked into the room, carrying two large bowls and setting them on the trivets laid out on the table. “Hi, kids,” she said to them, smiling tiredly. “Let me just go get Chase.” She exited the room again. Kurt peeked into the bowls to see some sort of curry and rice. It smelled fantastic.

Mrs. Brooks returned to the room, followed by her husband. He looked exactly like he did in the photos surrounding them, except with rectangular glasses and perhaps a few more gray hairs. His eyebrow rose slightly at the sight of Kurt.

“Hello,” he said from the other side of the table, putting out his hand.

Kurt stood hurriedly, nearly banging his knee on the underside of the table. “Hello, sir,” he said, shaking hands with Melanie’s father. “I’m Kurt Hummel. Pleasure to meet you.”

“Mm-hmm,” Mr. Brooks replied, pulling his hand back and moving to the chair at the head of the table. “Nice to meet you, Kurt.”

Kurt sunk back into his seat, glancing at Melanie. She rolled her eyes at her father, offering Kurt a small smile.

After saying grace and serving the food, Mr. Brooks addressed Kurt again. “So, how did you and Melanie meet?”

Kurt unfolded the cloth napkin in his lap as he answered. “I was, ah, sort of a regular at the coffee shop.”

“Hmm,” Mr. Brooks said, his eyes sliding to where his daughter was chasing rice grains around her plate. “So something good did come of that job. You wouldn’t think so with the way she complains about it.”

Melanie rolled her eyes again. Kurt smirked.

“Well, that’s in the job description, isn’t it?” He asked, jokingly. “If you’re a teenager, you complain about everything.”

Mr. Brooks looked at Kurt, his eyes narrowing until Kurt felt suitably uncomfortable.

“Perhaps,” the man said, returning to his food.

Melanie’s parents spent a good portion of the meal talking about various subjects that mostly went completely over Kurt’s head. At one point Mrs. Brooks asked where Kurt’s parents worked, and he told them about the tire shop (“You know, Hummel Tires. Like my name.”) His answer had been met with a curt nod from Melanie’s father and a short silence before they moved on. Kurt went back to silently eating his food.

Eventually they’d all finished, and Mrs. Brooks asked Melanie to clear the table. Melanie’s parents left the room, heading off into the seemingly never-ending labyrinth of rooms in the house. Kurt began to help Melanie pick up dishes, and together they loaded the high-tech dishwasher in the kitchen.

“So,” Kurt said, clearing his throat.

“I’m sorry about that,” Melanie replied quickly.

Kurt shrugged. “You don’t have to apologize.”

Melanie ran a hand through her hair. “Yeah. I just frequently feel the need to.”

Kurt grinned, and she smiled a bit too.

“Anyway,” Kurt said, rinsing off a plate and handing it to her. “Is…”He paused, then shook his head. “Nevermind.”

“No, what?” Melanie insisted.

Kurt sighed, resting his hands on the granite counters. “I mean, is Sebastian’s family like that too?”

“No,” Melanie said. Then she paused, biting her lip. “Well, sort of. In their own way.”

“What does that mean?”

Melanie thought for a moment. “Well, they’re kind of more…”

She never finished her sentence, because right then the two teenagers heard someone call out, “Mel!”

Melanie raised an eyebrow, glancing towards the kitchen door. That hadn’t been the voice of one of her parents. Instead, of all people, Sebastian pushed open the door and walked into the kitchen. He had a discontent expression on his face, one hand in his pocket and the other still extended from opening the door with a bit more force than necessary.

He stopped short when he saw Kurt, his expression quickly shifting to surprise and then sharp irritation. “What’re you doing here?” he asked.

Kurt’s brain immediately scrambled for a clever response, but he stopped himself, remembering Sebastian’s face when he’d walked in. “I’m hanging out with Melanie,” he answered.

Sebastian looked from Kurt, to Melanie, and then back. “ _Why_?”

Melanie scoffed. “Because I asked him to. What’s up, Seb?”

Sebastian crossed his arms. “Well, I came over to talk to you, but I didn’t know I’d be interrupting your little soiree with Queen Ladyface here.”

“Sebastian-“ Melanie began, chastising.

“It’s fine,” Kurt said, rolling his eyes. “I’m used to it.”

“That doesn’t make it ­ _okay_ ,” Melanie replied, glaring at Sebastian.

Sebastian matched her harsh gaze. “Can you say goodbye to your coffee shop buddy now? I need to talk to you.”

“I’m hanging out with Kurt right now,” Melanie told him. “You’re welcome to join us, but he’s been here for hours. I’m not going to ask him to leave just because you’re being a brat.”

Sebastian sighed exasperatedly. “Oh come _on_ , Mel! You want to be friends with Hummel here? You’re just his rebound hag because Rachel stick-up-her-ass Berry is too busy reuniting with her long-lost munchkin relatives, or something. He’s latched on to you and he wants to get even with me for trying to take his boyfriend by hijacking you.”

There was silence in the kitchen for a moment. Sebastian’s face was flushed, and Melanie was staring at him, open-mouthed. Kurt felt the heart-sinking feeling that he knew very well- the sensation of carefully chosen, hateful words sinking into his skin, filling him up with hot shame and hurt.

“Yeah, well,” Kurt choked out suddenly. “You can _have_ Blaine now!” He pushed past Sebastian and out of the kitchen, fighting back tears.

Melanie gaped at Sebastian. “How could you _do_ that?” she asked scathingly, before following Kurt out.

Kurt sat in the front seat of his car, trying to clear his vision before driving away. He’d always prided himself on having a thick skin. He’d been through a lot, and he’d developed the ability to deflect most things. He’d never been truly hurt by anything Sebastian had said before. But this was different, he guessed. Now he didn’t have Blaine as support. He didn’t have _anything_.

There was a tapping noise, and Kurt looked up to see Melanie standing outside the passenger seat window. Kurt blinked and unlocked the car so she could climb in.

“Hey,” she said softly.

Kurt laughed humorlessly. “Hey.”

“I’m just- I’m so sorry for everything he said in there. You know I don’t believe any of that, right? I’m your friend because I like you. He was just being a dick.”

Kurt took a deep breath. “So why are you friends with him, then?”

“What?”

“If he’s such a dick,” Kurt clarified. “Why are you friends with him?”

Melanie sighed, staring at her house out of the windshield. “Because…I’ve known him for a long time. And I think I probably know him better than most people. Better than anyone, even. And yeah, he can be a dick a lot. But…he can also be so much more, when he thinks no one is looking.”

Kurt wiped his eyes. He was unsatisfied by her answer, still mystified as to why anyone as kind and wholesome as Melanie could enjoy being around someone like Sebastian. “I should go home,” he said.

“You don’t have to,” Melanie insisted.

“No,” Kurt said. “I want to.”

Melanie bit her lip. “Okay,” she said finally. “Text me, alright?”

Kurt nodded. Melanie leaned over and kissed his forehead before getting out of the car. A few more tears slipped down Kurt’s cheeks as he watched her head back into the house. Finally, he turned the key in the ignition and pulled out.

…

 

When Melanie went back inside she peeked in the kitchen to find it empty. She ran up the stairs and went to her room, where Sebastian was sprawled out on her bed.

“What the _fuck_ was that?” she asked him, closing the door behind her.

“I thought you’d be used to my callousness by now, Mel,” he replied calmly.

“That was not just callous,” Melanie said. “You can’t just show up at my house and verbally abuse my friend, Seb.”

Sebastian closed his eyes. “I needed to talk to you.”

“That’s not a fucking excuse,” she said, stepping forward so she stood at the foot of the bed. “I’m seriously considering kicking you out.”

Sebastian opened his eyes again, seizing her up, gauging the authenticity of the threat. She was livid.

“It’s about my parents,” he said softly.

Melanie deflated slightly, running a hand through her hair. “Okay, look,” she said. “I won’t kick you out. We can talk. But…you need to apologize to Kurt.”

“ _Now_?” Sebastian asked petulantly.

“No,” Melanie said. “Not now. I want you to think about it first. But soon.”

Sebastian grimaced.

“I’m serious,” Melanie warned.

“Fine,” Sebastian relented. “I’ll apologize.”

Melanie crawled onto the bed and Sebastian scooted over so she could prop herself up next to him. “What’s up?” she asked softly.

Sebastian sighed, staring at the ceiling. “I did talk to him, though.”

Melanie blinked, confused. “Your dad?”

“No, Blaine.”

“ _What_?”

Sebastian clenched his jaw. “After I found out he and Kurt broke up. I texted him. Tried to see if he wanted to hang out. Or, you know, hook up.”

Melanie leaned her head back onto her pillows. “Why, Seb?”

Sebastian shrugged, eyes still fixed on the ceiling. “I dunno. Instinct. He was hot and newly single. Why not?”

“Sometimes I forget that you have no moral code,” Melanie quipped, winning a faint smile from Sebastian.

“The thing is,” he began hesitantly. “I mean, he was totally uninterested. And it was almost like…so was I. I mean, I hit on him, but I didn’t really _care_. I didn’t even want him to agree. I was just…over it.”

Melanie looked at him. “Is that, you know, a good thing?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “It was just weird.”

They lay quietly for a moment.

“Whatever,” Sebastian said, clearing his throat. “Anyway, my dad got this letter from the principle today…”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deep, deep apologies for such an updateless stretch of time. I'm in college now, what?? But I promise I'll try and keep on top of this better and bring you all as much Kurtbastian as you want. Let's see how the boys fare after the disastrous events of last chapter.  
> As always, beta'd by [Susan](stardustgifts.tumblr.com)!

Kurt talked to Melanie again the following day, and was once and for all assured that nothing Sebastian said the day before had affected her. Kurt still didn’t quite understand how Melanie could think there was any  _good_  in Sebastian. In Kurt’s opinion, if it had ever existed, it had been stamped out a long time ago. He’d made the mistake of thinking perhaps there was more to Sebastian, and they’d just gotten off on the wrong foot- but after the previous day’s outburst, Kurt saw just how wrong he’d been. Sebastian was rotten through and through, and Kurt wasn’t going to waste any more of his time around him, even if it meant spending less time with Melanie. He really liked Mel, but not enough to be around someone as despicable and generally toxic as Sebastian Smythe.

 On Monday, Kurt got a text from Melanie in the afternoon.

  _I’m not working tonight, we should do something. Do you like ice cream? Let’s go get ice cream._

 Smiling at her exuberance, Kurt typed out a reply.

  _Ice cream’s great, but I’m more of a cheesecake person. I can’t, anyway, I’m helping my dad in the tire shop._

 Melanie responded quickly.  _That’s nice of you. Do you help him out often?_

  _Sometimes,_  Kurt replied.  _I promised I would for the next couple days, anyway._

 When Melanie didn’t text him back after that, Kurt figured she’d had to work, or something. He didn’t think anything different until the next evening when he was wiping grease off of a wrench and he heard his father call his name.

 “Yeah?” he yelled back.

 “There’s someone outside who wants to talk to you,” Burt answered, entering the garage.

 “Who?” Kurt asked curiously, setting the wrench neatly into a toolbox.

 Burt shrugged. “Some kid, your age. He looked kinda familiar.”

 Kurt’s eyebrows drew together, but he walked out to the front entrance of the garage, wiping his hands on his coveralls. He came out into the dying daylight, looking around, only to see Sebastian standing in the parking lot.

 Kurt gasped, caught off guard. He quickly arranged his face in a passive expression, however, determined not to let Sebastian see any hint of emotion or reaction. Certainly not after the last time they met and Kurt had left crying.

 Kurt considered simply flipping him off and going back inside, but he decided he wanted to remain the mature one between them. Besides, Sebastian was a wild card, and there was no guarantee he wouldn’t follow Kurt in, and then he’d have to explain it all to his dad. With a calm expression and his shoulders thrown back, Kurt walked forward until he was about a foot away from Sebastian.

 “Can I help you?” Kurt asked disdainfully.

 Sebastian bit his lip. His hair wasn’t styled. He was wearing a plain t-shirt and jeans. The most perplexing thing about his appearance was the white box he was holding and also the seemingly  _nervous_  expression on his face. “Um, hi, Kurt.”

 Kurt blinked, waiting expectantly.

 Sebastian cleared his throat. He glanced down at Kurt’s coveralls, eyebrows lifting slightly. “I’ve never seen you in something so blue-collar,” he commented.

 Kurt ground his teeth at the barely-disguised jab at his economic class. “What are you here for, Sebastian?”

 Suddenly, Sebastian’s eyebrows creased. “Oh, no, I didn’t mean- fuck.” He sighed heavily. “I mean, I’m here to apologize, for what I said the other day.”

 Kurt was surprised, since he’d expected something more along the lines of ‘I’m here to spit in your face,’ or worse, ‘I’m here to tell you I hooked up with Blaine last night, and it was great, just so you know.’

 “I don’t want an apology,” Kurt said.

 “Yeah, I figured,” Sebastian replied. “But tough, because you’re getting one anyway. I, um- look-” Kurt had never seen Sebastian look so uncomfortable. “What I said to you was out of line. I was pissed off and I took it out on you, because you’re an easy target. No, I mean- well, I was an ass to you. And I’m sorry.”

 Kurt crossed his arms. “Well, I appreciate the apology. But you’re not forgiven. Now, please leave and never speak to me again.”

 “Wait!” Sebastian said as Kurt began to turn around, his voice urgent. Kurt paused.

 “What?” he asked.

 “I brought you something,” Sebastian said, holding out the cardboard box. “You know, um, to help apologize.”

 Too overcome with curiosity to resist, Kurt stepped forward and took the box from Sebastian. He lifted open the top to reveal a cheesecake inside. It was beautiful- creamy white, with a crumbling crust, dotted with sliced strawberries and drizzled with a chocolate sauce. Kurt’s jaw dropped slightly as he stared at it.

 “Um,” Sebastian said while Kurt gaped. “Melanie told me that you liked cheesecake. And there’s this French bakery in Columbus I go to sometimes, um, the pastry chef is from Paris, so she’s really good and, I don’t know, I thought you might like it, or something.”

 Kurt swallowed, letting the lid of the box fall close, looking up at Sebastian again. “I- it’s-“ he took a deep breath. “Thank you, Sebastian. It’s gorgeous.”

 “Yeah,” Sebastian answered lamely, glancing down at his feet.

 Kurt blinked, still slightly in shock. He couldn’t believe that Sebastian would have gone to so much trouble to get Kurt something, just so he could say sorry. Even if Melanie had put him up to it, it was still a lot of effort- going into Columbus to get a genuine gourmet chef? Could it be possible that, once again, Kurt had written Sebastian off? His head felt like it was spinning.

 “I guess I’ll go,” Sebastian said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

 “I really appreciate this,” Kurt said before the other boy could walk away. “And I’ll, um…I’ll think about it, okay? Your apology, I mean. Forgiving you. Whatever.”

 Sebastian grinned, slightly awkwardly. “Okay. Um, bye, Kurt.”

 “Bye,” Kurt said, watching as Sebastian turned and loped back to his Audi, sliding in and pulling out of the parking lot. With the cheesecake heavy in his hands, Kurt walked back towards the garage.

 ...

 Once Kurt was home and the cheesecake was safely stowed in the fridge (explaining it to his father had been strange; he’d told him that his friend Melanie had had it delivered to him. Which was more or less true; the middle-man had just come with an awkward conversation), he bounded upstairs to his room and called Melanie.

 “I’m working,” she said.

 “Yet you still picked up,” Kurt pointed out.

 “What do you want?” she asked teasingly.

 Kurt rolled his eyes. “I got an interesting present tonight.”

 “Oh, yeah? From a secret admirer?”

 “No, from Sebastian.”

 “Oh,” Melanie said, trying and failing to keep her tone innocent. “What kind of present?”

 “The kind you’d put him up to.” Kurt sighed. “You didn’t have to make him apologize, Melanie.”

 “I didn’t  _make_  him,” she insisted. “I just gave him a nudge in the right direction. And told him your favorite kind of dessert.”

 “This doesn’t mean that I’m just going to make nice with him and be his friend,” Kurt told her.

 “Did you keep the cake?” Melanie asked.

 “Yeah,” Kurt replied, slightly puzzled. “It’s probably expensive.”

 Melanie just chuckled. “The fact that you didn’t literally throw it in his face is a testament to the success of his apology.”

 “Melanie-“ Kurt began resentfully.

 “It’s a start!” Melanie interrupted. “I have to go now, okay? Talk to you later!”

 She hung up before Kurt could say another word. After giving his phone an irritated stare, he shoved it back into his pocket and fell backwards onto his bed.

 …

 On Friday, Kurt managed to pull Rachel away from Finn so they could spend a couple hours window-shopping in the mall. Rachel ended up buying a couple of things, since Kurt insisted she reinvent her wardrobe for when they moved to New York. On their way back to the Hummel-Hudson house that evening, they stopped in at The Lima Bean for coffee. They ordered and were sitting down, discussing for the millionth time all the things they wanted to do in the city, when someone placed their hands over Kurt’s eyes.

 “Guess who?” he heard a lilting voice ask from behind him.

 “Hmmm,” Kurt hummed thoughtfully. “Who do I know who works at The Lima Bean and enjoys harassing me?”

 Melanie laughed and removed her hands. Kurt turned around to grin at her.

 “I don’t harass you,” she said.

 “You gave me contraband biscotti before you even knew who I was.”

 “That wasn’t harassment,” Melanie insisted. “That was an act of random kindness.”

 Rachel cleared her throat rather loudly, drawing the attention of Kurt and Melanie.

 “Hi,” Rachel said, putting on a smile. “I’m Rachel Berry.”

 Melanie leaned over Kurt to shake Rachel’s outstretched hand. “Melanie Brooks. Pleasure to meet you.”

 Rachel glanced to Kurt. “You two are…friends?”

 “Oh, yeah,” Kurt said, realizing that he’d never once mentioned Melanie to Rachel. Or to any of his friends, really. “We just met a couple of weeks ago. She works here.”

 “I can tell,” Rachel said, glancing at Melanie’s apron. “Do you go to McKinley?”

 “No,” Melanie replied. “I went to Lawrence.”

 Rachel nodded, smiling politely.

 “You should sit with us,” Kurt told Melanie, gesturing to one of the empty chairs at the table. “If you’re on a break, or something.”

 “Sure,” Melanie replied. Just as she sat down, though, Rachel’s phone began to ring from where it had been sitting on the table.

 “Oh,” she said, picking it up. “It’s Dad. I’ll be right back.” She stood and walked towards the entrance, hovering near the door as she answered the phone.

 “That’s the infamous Rachel?” Melanie asked.

 “Mm-hmm,” Kurt answered, sipping his latte. “But don’t call her infamous to her face. She might faint. Or try to sign an autograph for you.”

 Melanie chuckled. “So,” she said, leaning towards Kurt, “I have an offer for you.”

 “Yes?” Kurt asked, raising an eyebrow.

 “You want to go clubbing tomorrow night?”

 Kurt blinked. “I- what?”

 Melanie smiled. “Do you want to go to a club tomorrow night?”

 “Um, I don’t- I don’t have an ID,” Kurt said, bitterly remembering useless plastic card he’d thrown away after the disastrous night at Scandals.

 “Not a problem,” Melanie assured him. “Our favorite club is 18-plus, anyway.”

 “ _Our_?” Kurt asked.

Melanie sighed. “Okay, so Sebastian’s coming too.”

 Kurt shook his head resolutely. “I don’t want to hang out with him.”

 “Not even for me?” Melanie pleaded. Kurt glared at her. “Look, ignoring him isn’t going to make it any better.”

 “I don’t want to make it better,” Kurt told her. “I want to never have to deal with him again.”

 Melanie sighed. “But you’ll be able to get drunk! You won’t even notice he’s there. Literally, he’ll probably be off hitting on guys. You and I can dance all night. Unless a cute guy asks one of us.”

 Kurt rested his chin on his hand. “I don’t know, Melanie.”

 “Okay,” she said, reaching out and smoothing the collar of his jacket. “Well, I’m not going to make you come. But I think you’d have a lot of fun, and I think it would loosen you up. But you don’t have to go. Now, my break is over, so I’ve got to leave.”

 She stood up and began heading back to the counter, leaving Kurt staring off into the distance.

 After a second, he turned around. “Melanie?” he called out. She turned around, grinning slightly.

 Kurt sighed. “Fine. I’ll go.”

 Melanie beamed. “Great!” she exclaimed. “Come to my house at 7:30.”

 “See you then,” Kurt said, sounding resigned.

 Melanie returned to her work, and after a moment Rachel came back to the table.

 “Where’d your friend go?” she asked.

 “Work,” Kurt replied. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we've reached the point in the fic where we add a little alcohol to the equation and see what happens. Enjoy!

Kurt stood in front of his bathroom mirror, staring at himself forlornly, and wondering why on Earth he’d agreed to this.

He didn’t want to go to a club. He didn’t want to break the law. He didn’t want to dance to techno music with a hundred sweaty strangers. He didn’t even want to get drunk, at this point.

Sighing as he half-heartedly smoothed the lapel of his jacket, he faced the truth. He knew why he’d done this. Because he once again wanted to prove that he was just as good as Sebastian Smythe. He wanted Melanie to be his friend, and in order to do that, he felt the need to show her how _great_ he was, especially compared to her complete asshole of a best friend. He wanted her to know that he could party just as well as anyone else.

But looking at his reflection, he addressed the fact that he probably _couldn’t_.

He knew that he looked okay, with his tight black jeans and the navy blue polo he _knew_ made his eyes look good, covered by a peach-colored blazer. Even his hair was behaving pretty well. While he might look put-together on the outside, though, it was his inside that felt wrong. He felt anxious and a little bit queasy.

Finally he took out his phone and called Melanie.

“Are you going to be here soon?” she asked.

“I don’t think I should go,” he muttered.

“ _Kurt_ ,” Melanie pleaded. “But you’re going to have fun, I promise!”

“I just…” Kurt struggled to find the right words. “I don’t think I’ll fit in there.”

“Kurt,” Melanie said in a no-nonsense tone. “You are attractive, young, and fun. You’ll fit in perfectly. Look, you’re afraid that it’s not your scene, right? That you’ll just look dumb and too young and out-of-place?”

“Um…” Kurt mumbled, surprised at how well Melanie had read his mind. “Yeah.”

“Kurt, you are a grown up. You’re hot. You’re talented. These are your wonder years. There is not a better place for you to fit in.”

Kurt sighed, actually feeling slightly relieved. “Well, when you put it that way…”

“Are you gonna come?”

Kurt grinned. “Well, I can’t waste this outfit now. I’ll be over in twenty minutes.”

Melanie whooped excitedly before saying goodbye. Taking a deep breath, Kurt stood up and finished getting ready.

…

 

When Kurt arrived at Melanie’s she spent several minutes admiring his clothing ensemble, while Sebastian sat to the side, rolling his eyes and idly flicking Melanie’s lighter. They got going pretty quickly. They took Melanie’s car, and there was a moment of awkwardness when Kurt headed for the backseat and Sebastian muttered, “You can, um, sit in front if you want.”

Kurt had simply raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “No, I’m fine. Um, thanks.”

Kurt didn’t miss the sly smile Melanie wore as he slipped into the car.

The drive wasn’t too bad; Kurt stretched out in the backseat, listening to the low-volume radio and Melanie and Sebastian’s conversation. They spent most of the ride arguing over Toby Maguire’s performance in the Spiderman movies. Kurt felt his apprehension building up again, but he tried to ignore it.

They arrived at the club, called Axis, just before ten. There was a short line outside, but within minutes they were flashing their IDs at the man standing in the doorway, and Sebastian and Melanie were getting their hands stamped because they were supposedly over 21.

As soon as they entered the club, Melanie reached for Kurt’s hand and squeezed it, and he had to admit he was thankful for it. The room they’d walked into was huge, loud, and colorful, with lights flashing and music pounding and a crowd moving in chaotic unison.

Kurt was overwhelmed and awed and somehow, suddenly, in love. He was reminded of the way that a city lit up at nighttime, how there were so many people everywhere but in the crowdedness there was a bizarre camaraderie.

Melanie tugged Kurt to the side, where the three of them found a table. Sebastian left them, making his way towards the bar. “He’ll get us drinks,” Melanie said loudly in Kurt’s ear.

Kurt nodded dumbly. Melanie leaned in again and asked “How’s the first impression?”

“This is nothing like Scandals,” Kurt managed to say.

Melanie laughed loudly, and her hearty alto sounded so right in the bizarre orchestra of club sounds.

Sebastian returned, handing them each an identical glass. He said nothing, just quickly downed his bottle of beer and then disappeared into the dancing crowd.

“You like rum and Coke?” Melanie asked, holding up her glass.

Kurt shrugged. “Never had it.” He took a tentative sip, scrunching his face up slightly at the sharp aftertaste. “Not bad,” he appraised.

Melanie smiled. “This is my one and only for the night,” she explained. “After this, all of my drinks are for _you_ , mister.”

“I thought you didn’t drink?” Kurt asked, remembering Sebastian’s proclamation in the woods beside the golf course; _she smokes, I drink._

“Once in a blue moon,” Melanie answered, and then took a sip.

They sat there, talking occasionally as they drank, until they’d both finished their glasses.

“Come on,” Melanie said, once again taking Kurt by the wrist and pulling him along. “Let’s dance!”

So they melded into the crowd, swallowed up by the moving bodies and the heavy bass of whatever remixed Top 40 song was playing. Kurt loved this feeling of being one of a crowd, of mixing in with everyone else, of brushing up against strangers and no one caring. Again , it was the same crowdedness that he remembered from New York, the bizarre feeling of being included and ignored at the same time.

He thought it’d be hard to dance, but once he was surrounded by people, Melanie still attached to him by the wrist, with the rum beginning to rush through his veins, he had no problem. Maybe he looked ridiculous- but so did everyone else. He moved his body to the music, mirroring Melanie, spinning dizzily around her.

He sweated and laughed and felt like his whole body was buzzing. He felt so very alive.

Kurt had two more drinks over the course of the night, another rum and Coke and then some cocktail that Melanie suggested and he had _really_ enjoyed. They danced until he couldn’t feel his feet and his hair was a mess and his nice jacket was probably ruined but _oh well_. Finally, Melanie dragged him off the dancefloor, breathing heavily. “Stay here,” she instructed him. “I have to go find Sebastian.”

She disappeared then, and Kurt watched the melding dancers in front of him. He pulled out his phone to see that it was nearly one o’clock. He hadn’t thought that so much time had passed.

Eventually Melanie returned, with Sebastian draped over her side. “We’re gonna get going,” she told Kurt. “But I have to pee before we go, okay? It’s gonna be a while, the line is outrageous.” Melanie fished her keys out of her pocket, then grabbed Kurt’s hand and folded it over them. “Just take him out to the car, try and make sure he doesn’t puke or anything.”

Kurt raised his eyebrows, feeling alarmed and still tipsy. “Is he prone to puking?”

She shrugged. “It happens. I’ll see you out there.”

With that she shifted her weight, leaning Sebastian onto Kurt and removing her arm from around him. Sebastian, unsteady on his feet from the doubtless many drinks he’d consumed, latched on to Kurt’s shoulder. Kurt sneered at the boy, thinking disdainfully of how difficult it was going to be to get the wrinkles he was causing out of this blazer, and that not even a fancy cheesecake could appease him. Sebastian was examining Kurt’s jacket. He ran a hand over the slightly padded shoulder, then stared at Kurt.

“This is nice,” he said, a slow smile forming on his face.

If he was complimenting Kurt’s wardrobe, he _had_ to be wasted.

When Kurt looked up again, Melanie was nowhere to be seen.

“Goddamnit,” he muttered. Rolling his eyes, he put his arm around Sebastian’s torso and began guiding them shakily towards the door.

As they reached the parking lot and the chilled air outside, Kurt gulped in the fresh air and felt much more level-headed. Without the lights and heat of the club, he felt considerably less drunk. Now, though, he had to begin resolutely fighting off memories of a time eerily similar to this- his arm around a drunken boy, leading him out of a bar and to the car, having him lie in the back seat so he wouldn’t throw up…

“Come on,” Kurt said as they reached Melanie’s Nissan. He unlocked the back door and deposited Sebastian there, huffing in relief when the boy’s mostly dead weight was off of him. Kurt closed the door and walked around the car, sliding into the passenger seat. He glanced at the clock and wondered how long it was going to be until Melanie got out there.

Kurt heard Sebastian begin to hum something. He wasn’t sure how aware Sebastian was, whether or not their situation should be awkward.

Sebastian stopped humming. “Hey,” he said abruptly. Kurt heard the leather upholstery squeak as Sebastian shifted in his seat. When he spoke again, Kurt felt hot breath on the back of his neck.

“Kurt,” Sebastian murmured. Kurt shivered slightly.

“Um, yes?” he replied.

“Kurt,” Sebastian repeated, louder. “I’m sorry.”

Kurt’s eyebrows drew together. “What do you mean? You already apologized.” he said. “Or, wait. Oh, god, you’re not going to puke, are you?” He turned around to face the undoubtedly sick Sebastian.

“No,” Sebastian replied, and now they were face-to-face, seeing eachother only by the dim lighting of the streetlamp outside of the car. Sebastian’s mouth was slightly open, his lips parted, and his eyes wide. Kurt could smell the alcohol on Sebastian’s breath, and was sure it was on his own too.

“Then, um…” Kurt cleared his throat. “Then what are you sorry for?”

Sebastian blinked, like he’d lost his train of thought. Then he took a deep breath. “Everything.”

“Everything?” Kurt asked.

Sebastian nodded. Kurt tried to lean back slightly, but from his position in the front seat it was hard to do. Sebastian didn’t really have any sense of personal boundaries right now.

Sebastian spoke, however. “I’m sorry for everything. Like, everything that happened last year. I know that I kind of apologized and sang that song and everything when…” Sebastian swallowed. “After the whole Dave Karofsky thing. But I never, like, really said sorry to you.”

Kurt still felt terribly confused. “So you’re apologizing for…for Blaine, and all that?” Somehow, in his slightly inebriated state, it was easier to say Blaine’s name.

Sebastian nodded. “For Blaine, and the slushie, and that time with the cayenne pepper, and just being a dick to you.”

“What did you say about cayenne pepper?” Kurt asked, suddenly recalling a previously unexplained situation with one of the mochas he’d ordered from the Lima Bean.

Sebastian shook his head. “It doesn’t matter now. But…I’m sorry, okay?”

Kurt examined the intoxicated boy shrewdly, still a bit suspicious. He sighed, turning around to face the front of the car again. “You’re drunk, Sebastian.”

“No,” Sebastian said, reaching out and grabbing Kurt’s shoulder. Kurt pulled away from him, turning around again.

Sebastian sighed. “I mean, like…yeah, I’m drunk.” He laughed slightly before regaining composure. “But I mean this. Ask me tomorrow.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow, and then glanced out the window. He could see Melanie approaching the car through the parking lot. He looked back to Sebastian,

“Okay,” he said, and then turned away again.

…

 

Kurt was woken up by a loud groan.

He lifted his head from Melanie’s feather pillow and looked towards the noise. Sebastian was laying on the floor, facedown on the cot Melanie had made up for him the previous night(“the most intoxicated person gets to sleep on the floor,” she’d said). The muffled groan seemed to have emanated from him. Melanie stood in the doorway of the bathroom on the other side of the room, smirking slightly, a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth.

Sebastian moaned again, clearly in pain. Melanie disappeared from view for a second, and Kurt heard the sound of running water. He propped his head up on his hand, and Melanie smiled at him when she returned to the room, toothbrushless.

Sebastian managed to roll onto his side. “I hate everything,” he said in a monotone voice.

“This is your own fault,” Melanie replied as she began rifling through her closet.

Sebastian simply groaned again. He was facing away from Kurt, so Kurt couldn’t see exactly how bad he looked. Kurt himself didn’t feel too bad- his eyes were grainy and his mouth tasted unpleasant, but he had no head or stomach ache to speak of.

“Sebastian,” Kurt said sleepily as Melanie began to change her clothes. He hadn’t fully awoken, so he wasn’t considering everything he said. “Why do you do this all the time if this is what it leads to?”

Sebastian didn’t answer, instead rolling onto his back and throwing his arm over his eyes.

Kurt sighed and sat up, stretching. Melanie turned around, fully dressed now, and looked from one boy to the other. “Come on,” she said. “I’ll take us to a diner. Come downstairs when you’re dressed.” She left the room, closing the door behind her.

Kurt got off the bed and picked up his bag, taking it into the bathroom to shower and get dressed. When he returned, Sebastian was sitting on the floor, leaning against the side of Melanie’s bed. His hair was terribly mussed, his eyelids heavy, eyes red and bloodshot. Kurt looked down at him from the doorway, slightly amused. Sebastian glared back.

“You want some water?” Kurt asked.

Sebastian’s expression softened, and he seemed slightly surprised. “Um, yeah,” he said.

Kurt filled a plastic cup in the bathroom up with water and then carried it out to the hungover boy. Sebastian gratefully took it and began to drink it.

“So,” Kurt said, slightly uncomfortable. “You were pretty drunk last night. Remember much?”

“Um…” Sebastian stared at the cup of water in his hands. He seemed to be spacing out, until suddenly he looked up at Kurt, a light of recognition in his eyes. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, I do.”

Kurt gazed at him, not saying anything. Sebastian gulped, his eyes returning to the cup. “But…” he muttered. “I meant it. The things I said.”

Kurt studied him momentarily, and then smiled. “Okay,” he said quietly. They stayed for a moment like that, silent. Then Kurt took a deep breath and spoke. “Well, I’m going downstairs. Hurry up, or I’ll have Mel leave without you. I’m starving.”

Kurt wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw the corner of Sebastian’s mouth tweak upwards. He left the room before he could dwell on it, though.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's strange reading about Kurt and Melanie enjoying the summer while I am bundling up against the oncoming New York winter. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

Kurt spent Monday night at Mercedes’ house, and he was awoken on Tuesday by the sound of his ringtone.

He stumbled out of Mercedes’ bed, seeing from the clock that it was just after eight, over to his bag, where he managed to fish out his phone. He heard Mercedes shifting in the covers behind him, waking up with all the noise.

“Hello?” Kurt said as he fumbled to answer the phone.

“Hey,” the caller greeted him.

Kurt blinked, trying to clear the early-morning blurriness from his eyes. “Melanie?”

“Yeah,” she answered.

“Why are you _calling_ me?” Kurt asked.

“To talk to you, silly,” she said. “You should come over today.”

Kurt sunk down onto Mercedes’ carpet. “Um. Today?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m actually…at a friend’s house right now.”

Melanie was quiet for a moment. “Oh,” she said finally.

“Yeah,” Kurt said. Mercedes was sitting up in bed now, her eyebrow raised. Kurt shrugged at her. “I can come over later, though, if you don’t work. In the afternoon, or something.”

“Okay,” Melanie said. “Yeah, afternoon. That’s fine.”

Kurt ran a hand through his sleep-tangled hair. “Okay, I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, bye Kurt!”

Kurt hung up and tossed his phone down, lying back on the floor.

“Well, you’re popular,” Mercedes commented.

Kurt smirked. “I can’t help it,” he replied sassily.

“So who was that?” Mercedes asked, leaning back on her headboard.

“Just Melanie,” Kurt told her.

“Who?”

Kurt remembered, once again, that his friends didn’t know who she was. “Um, she’s a barista at the Lima Bean. She went to Lawrence Prep. We met at the end of the school year.”

“Hmm,” Mercedes replied listlessly. “Well, I’m up now. Wanna make French toast?”

Grinning, Kurt pulled himself off the floor and followed his friend down to the kitchen.

…

 

By two o’clock, Kurt was driving down Melanie’s long driveway. He could see Melanie, leaning against the trunk of her car, wearing only short shorts and a blue bikini top, her eyes covered by white-rimmed, reflective sunglasses. Kurt parked next to her and got out of the car, walking around the back to meet her.

“Hey,” she said, smiling.

“Hi,” he answered.

“We’re gonna wash my car today,” Melanie told him, gesturing to the bucket full of soapy water at her feet that he hadn’t previously noticed.

“I never agreed to that,” Kurt argued.

“Come _on,_ Kurt,” Melanie pleaded. “It’ll be fun!”

Kurt looked down at his outfit. He was just wearing khaki shorts and a T-shirt. Nothing he couldn’t get at the Gap. One of the things he disliked about summer was the lack of fantastic wardrobe opportunity(along with the way humidity never let his hair cooperate with him). It wouldn’t be a _disaster_ if he got a little wet.

Kurt sighed. “I get control of the hose,” he insisted.

…

 

Eventually Melanie’s car was spotlessly clean, and Kurt was only sparsely damp. Melanie went inside and brought out a six-pack of sodas for them to share. Kurt had taken a porch chair out to the driveway to lounge, and Melanie simply sat on the cement, cross-legged, leaning her head back onto the rear bumper of her car.

Once they were settled in, Melanie removed her sunglasses and asked, “Do you, um, mind if I smoke?”

Kurt raised an eyebrow. She’d smoked in front of him plenty of times before, why was she asking now? “Yeah, sure,” he told her.

Melanie pursed her lips. “But, um, not tobacco. Do you mind if I smoke pot?”

 _Oh_ , Kurt thought. _That’s why she asked_. But, after a moment, Kurt nodded his head. “That’s fine,” he said.

It was something he’d known that she did, so it wasn’t like he was going to be annoyed with her for it. Besides, he was honestly kind of curious- he’d never actually seen someone smoke pot before.

He popped open his soda and watched as Melanie took several things from the pockets of her shorts; a tiny plastic bag of marijuana, the orange Bic lighter he’d seen her light the tips of cigarettes with, and a black glass device that he realized must be some sort of pipe. She poured some of the pot into the pipe and patted it lightly with her finger. Then she lifted it to her mouth, placing her lips at one end, and lit it, the flame flickering over the green leaves. She took a deep breath in and then moved the pipe so she could slowly let the smoke. She glanced up at Kurt.

“Want a hit?” she asked, holding up the pipe.

Kurt laughed. “No, thanks. My entire future sort of hinges on my voice. I’d like to avoid giving it that gravely quality.”

Melanie stuck her tongue out at him. She took another hit before responding. “That’s cigarettes,” she informed him. “Studies show that marijuana has no lasting effect on the lungs or the throat. In fact, it may even increase lung capacity.”

Kurt scoffed. “Studies also show that it’s one-hundred percent illegal,” he countered.

Melanie sighed. “Suit yourself,” she told him, bringing the pipe back up to her lips. Kurt rolled his eyes, sipping his soda. Melanie teasingly blew smoke in his direction, and he wrinkled his nose at the smell- which wasn’t necessarily _bad_ , just strong.

“Why do you smoke, anyway?” Kurt asked suddenly. “You’re smart. You know it’s bad for you.”

Melanie smirked. “Honestly? It started partly to annoy my parents.”

Kurt laughed. “Of course it did.”

Melanie grinned, setting her pipe down on the driveway. “Yeah. I mean, when I was younger I hung out with the so-called ‘bad crowd.’ I started going to high school parties when I was in the seventh grade. I started smoking pot, and then cigarettes, just because I liked the feeling and they were easier to get. Maybe I’ll try quitting someday, but for now, I enjoy it.”

Kurt sniffed, nodding. He’d never known anyone to be so logical or self-assured about these sorts of things. Everyone just seemed to do it because it was cool, or something.

Melanie took a can of soda from the pack and popped it open, taking a long sip from it. The two friends sat in silence for a while, simply enjoying the feeling of the summer sun on their skin. Melanie eventually slid down until she was lying flat on the concrete, her arms and legs spread wide, reminiscent of a snow-angel.

“Kurt,” she said slowly, breaking the comfortable silence.

“Hmm?” Kurt answered.

“This driveway is really warm.”

Kurt smirked. “That’s nice, Melanie.”

“Really,” she insisted. “This is the greatest driveway ever.”

“I’m sure it is,” Kurt told her. He didn’t mention the fact that it was probably extremely expensive. The sheer size of it mandated that.

“You should come lie on it,” Melanie said.

Kurt took the last sip of his soda, setting the empty can on the arm of his chair. “No thanks.”

Melanie reached up and grabbed Kurt’s ankle, pulling it towards her. “Come _on_ ,” she insisted.

Kurt laughed, reluctantly allowing himself to be pulled out of the chair and onto the warm concrete. Once he was sitting next to her, Melanie took a hold of his hand, their fingers slipping together. Melanie’s palm was warm from the heated cement, and Kurt’s fingers still retained the cool sensation from the can he’d been drinking from. Kurt realized how nice it felt, just to hold hands; this simple gesture of friendship and closeness that he’d been lacking in recent weeks.

“Isn’t it nice?” she asked.

“Super nice,” he replied, not referring necessarily to the driveway.

Melanie closed her eyes, and when she opened them again Kurt saw that they were slightly more bloodshot than usual. “Kurt,” she whispered.

“Yeah?”

Melanie smiled slightly. “I’m really glad you’re my friend.”

Kurt squeezed her hand gently. “I’m glad too,” he told her. And he really meant it. He pondered it thoughtfully, as he gazed at his stoned friend, how he and Melanie had first met, when he’d looked sad in the coffee shop one morning. And he thought about how, in a bizarre way, if Blaine had never dumped him he probably wouldn’t have gotten to know Melanie, and how such a terrible thing could somehow cause something good. Not as good as the past, admittedly, because Kurt still felt very alone, and betrayed, and hurt. But maybe he was just a little bit less alone than he might be otherwise.

Melanie sat up then, using Kurt’s hand for assistance, so that they were very close. “I’m sorry,” Melanie whispered into his ear.

“Sorry?” Kurt asked, confused. His train of thought had distracted him. “For what?”

Melanie didn’t answer, instead standing all the way up and walking past her car, out of Kurt’s view. Perplexed but unconcerned- she was probably just talking nonsense, she was high, after all- he turned his head forward to stare out at the trees and the hill Melanie’s driveway traveled down.

A moment later, Melanie returned. Kurt was just turning around to look at her when she said, “For this!” and doused him with chilled water from the hose, laughing maniacally.

…

 

Once Kurt was suitably dried off and had finally been persuaded to see the situation as amusing and not infuriating(“I wasn’t going to let you get away from a car wash without getting wet!” Melanie insisted), it was nearing sunset and he decided it was time to go home. He hugged Melanie and dramatically kissed the hood of her newly-spotless Nissan before hopping into his car and driving away.

When he pulled into his driveway, Kurt noticed a Subaru parked on the street that he recognized as the Berry’s, which Rachel sometimes drove. He grinned, realizing that he was going to get to see Mercedes, Melanie, and Rachel all in one day.

When he got to the door, though, he it was locked. He used his key to open it, and found the house strangely still. He walked into the kitchen and saw a note stuck onto the fridge.

 _Kurt_ , it read. _Your father’s in the shop and I’m taking some late shifts. Finn and Rachel went out. There’s leftover lasagna in the fridge! –Carole_

It was sweet of Carole to leave him a note. It was motherly and adorable and most the time Kurt would have loved it. But now, he just felt slightly alone, abandoned. He knew it was silly. For God’s sake, they’d all be home within a couple of hours. But he’d been looking forward to opening the door and seeing his family gathered around the TV, or the table, with Rachel there being her wonderfully obnoxious self, and a house full of food and laughter and love.

But instead, he got leftover lasagna.

Dejectedly, he disregarded the note, took the carton of vanilla ice cream from the freezer and a spoon, and headed upstairs to watch Hercules in his room. Nowadays he felt like he could empathize with Megara in a weird way. Minus the new, hot-and-interested guy, that is.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, now we get into some Kurt-and-Sebastian shenanigans.  
> -just a warning that this chapter does not cast a very favorable light on Blaine, if that's a problem for anyone. I personally love Blaine Anderson with all of my heart, but I also try to be true to every characters feelings and prejudices within my story.-  
> Hope you enjoy!

“It’s fucking freezing in here,” Sebastian complained.

Melanie threw a French fry at him, which bounced off his shoulder and then disappeared under the table. “Shut up,” she told him. “We’re all cold. Get over it.”

Kurt grinned slightly, sipping on his milkshake- which wasn’t helping with how chilly it was inside the diner. He ran his hand carefully through his hair. He knew it looked awful- wet with chlorinated water, pushed back from his forehead but terribly messy and flat.

Their evening adventure had begun when Melanie said to Sebastian, “So, we never actually managed to break in to the swimming pool.”

Sebastian, who’d been leaning against the railing of Melanie’s porch with the mid-June sun to his back, raised an eyebrow. “True. But there was that security guard.”

Melanie smiled. “There _was_. I just read a newspaper article the other day about understaffing at the pool during the busy months. Apparently, he’s retired.”

Kurt had looked at Melanie quizzically. “You read articles in the newspaper?” He’d asked.

Sebastian chuckled. “I know, right?”

Melanie rolled her eyes at them. “Regardless, that pool is just _waiting_ for us.”

So they’d driven to the local community pool once it was dark, climbed over the fence, and went for a swim in their underwear. It had taken Kurt a bit of convincing(“Do you know how gross that water is?”), but after Melanie pushed him into the pool, he admittedly had a lot of fun. They’d driven to the diner after they’d wiggled back into their clothes(sans the underwear that was now rolled up in a towel in the back of Melanie’s car). Their wet hair and damp skin, which had been nice in the humid summer air, was now causing them to shiver in the highly air-conditioned restaurant.

Sebastian was grumbling to himself over his cheeseburger, Melanie still lightly teasing him, when Kurt heard the _ding!_ of the bell that signaled the door opening. Laughter and voices filled the air of the diner, and Kurt looked up to see who had come in.

Then his heart dropped.

A group of teenagers was entering the diner. Leading them was Blaine, followed closely by Tina, Artie, and Wes from the Warblers, of all people. A waitress led them to a booth on the other side of the room. Kurt ducked his head, wishing he could disappear.

He’d been focusing on the cheerful chatter of the new occupants of the restaurant, so he hadn’t noticed when Melanie and Sebastian had stopped talking. Now, though, he realized that they were quiet. And probably staring at him. Sneering at him, in Sebastian’s case. Kurt sunk even lower in his seat.

“Kurt,” Melanie said suddenly, her hand on his shoulder. He still couldn’t bring himself to look up. “It’s fine. Just ignore them.”

Kurt laughed humorlessly. “Right. Because that’s what they’ll do to me.”

Melanie’s voice was tinged with confusion when she spoke. “What do you mean?”

Kurt looked up at her, keeping his gaze resolutely off of Sebastian- because he hated this, being emotionally vulnerable in front of someone who was probably going to abuse it- and he explained. “Those people over there? They’re supposed to be my friends. Tina, and Artie- I’ve known them for years. But they choose Blaine over me. Everyone does. Blaine is the fun one, the charming one, the _desirable_ one.” Now Kurt definitely wasn’t going to look at Sebastian. He felt so humiliated, close to tears in this stupid greasy diner. “So they all get to hang out and have a great time together, and they all completely forget about me and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Kurt…” Melanie sounded so concerned, so worried. Kurt really wanted to cry now, but he couldn’t. He wouldn’t let himself. He felt so full of emotions, filling his throat and clawing ferociously at the inside of his stomach.

And then Melanie was looking away from him, her eyes instead focused on something above him. Blinking, he turned around.

Tina was standing at the end of their table.

“Hi, Kurt,” she said, tentatively.

Kurt swallowed over the lump in his throat. “Oh, um. Hi, Tina.”

Tina cast a dubious glance at Sebastian before returning her eyes to Kurt. “Funny seeing you here.”

Kurt cleared his throat. “Um, yeah. Funny.”

Kurt hated that this felt stilted and awkward. He and Tina were _friends_. He remembered the hours she’d spent helping him on his NYADA audition(before he’d changed numbers, anyway), and how afterwards they’d laugh and talk…with Blaine, of course, who frequented their rehearsals. Of course. Everyone _did_ prefer Blaine over him.

Tina smiled slightly. “We’re just eating before we go midnight bowling. Wes is in town and, uh, Blaine wanted to take him out for a night, so…”

Kurt nodded, biting his lip hard. “That’s great. Tell Wes I say hi.”

“Yeah,” Tina said, rubbing her arm. “I will.” She looked at Melanie and Sebastian again, creases forming between her eyebrows, and then made a slight waving gesture with her hand. “See you, Kurt.”

“Bye, Tina.”

He watched as she retreated to her table, where the other three boys were still in cheery conversation. He stared at where his hands rested in his lap. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Melanie gesturing. She and Sebastian were probably silently communicating. Talking about him. Figures.

“Kurt,” Melanie said suddenly. Kurt reluctantly looked up at her. “Do you know the five stages of grief?”

Kurt, confused, shook his head.

Melanie went on. “The five stages are denial, anger , depression, bargaining, and acceptance.”

“I think that was the wrong order,” Sebastian said.

“They’re not chronological, dipshit,” Melanie told him. She turned back to Kurt. “Anyway, everyone is supposed to go through them after experiencing a loss. _Any_ sort of loss.”

Melanie was looking at Kurt meaningfully.

“You mean, including a _breakup_ sort of loss,” he said dryly.

“Exactly.”

Kurt once again ran a hand self-consciously through his hair. “What are you trying to say?”

“Well…” Melanie pursed her lips. “I’ve seen you go through some of the stages. But…not anger.”

“So?” Kurt asked, still not sure where this was leading.

“So,” Sebastian said, leaning forward. “We think it’s time for some good old-fashioned rage. Possibly with some revenge mixed in.”

Kurt looked from him back to Melanie. “What are you talking about?”

Melanie sighed. “Are you angry at Blaine?”

Kurt glanced momentarily to where the other group of teenagers was now ordering their food and thought about it. Blaine looked fantastic. He was wearing a blue polo shirt that Kurt had loved. He’d helped Blaine pick it out, actually, on a shopping trip to the mall followed by a heavy makeout session in the backseat of Kurt’s car. It had been shortly after they’d first said ‘I love you,’ so they said it incessantly; a thousand _I love you_ s and heavy kisses against the upholstery. That had been special. That shirt had been special. Everything they’d had had been so damn special, and then Blaine just changed his mind. They were perfect, they were forever, they were ‘ _I’ll never say goodbye_.’ Well, Kurt hadn’t said goodbye. Blaine had.

Blaine had ruined his whole goddamned life. Sure, Kurt missed him. But he also kind of hated him for what he’d done.

Kurt turned back to Melanie. “Yes,” he said curtly. “Yes, I’m angry at Blaine.”

“Great,” Sebastian grinned slyly. “Then we know exactly how you can express some of that anger.” He looked like he was kid who had just found twenty dollars in the couch cushions, and it was scaring Kurt a little bit. Nothing that made Sebastian Smythe that happy could be good, right?

But the clawed beast of anger roared in Kurt’s stomach, and he realized that maybe something devious, something _Sebastian-like_ , was precisely what he needed.

…

 

Kurt was starting to maybe second-guess himself when they drove into the Scandals parking lot. Melanie pulled into a parking space and turned off the engine, but Kurt didn’t move, simply staring straight ahead.

Sebastian tapped on the window, and Kurt jumped slightly.

“Come on, Hummel!” Sebastian yelled through the glass.

Kurt slowly unbuckled and got out. Melanie waved at them. She’d chosen to stay in the car, leaving Kurt alone with Sebastian.

They walked up to the entrance and went inside. Sebastian simply waved at the bouncer, grabbing Kurt’s arm and pulling him further into the building.

Kurt glanced backwards, confused. “You didn’t even show him an ID,” Kurt pointed out.

“Yeah,” Sebastian replied, raising his voice as they entered the dancefloor where music was blasting. “I’m kind of a regular.”

“And they just let you in?”

Sebastian shrugged, pausing along the edge of the room. “Look, this place needs all the attractive, young gay men it can get. They turn a blind eye to my underage drinking, I improve the club atmosphere. It’s how you run a business. Now, come on.”

Still rather shocked, Kurt allowed Sebastian to keep pulling him through the room, towards an alcove off the side of the room.

They were headed for the restrooms. Kurt hadn’t been in them before, but knew that they were their destination from the hastily explained plan Sebastian had presented on the car ride over. Kurt was feeling a little bit queasy- although whether from the atmosphere or from what Sebastian planned on having him do, he wasn’t sure.

Sebastian pushed the door to the men’s room open, letting go of Kurt’s arms and kicking open the doors of each of the three stalls to make sure none of them were occupied. Luckily, they were alone.

“Lock the door,” Sebastian instructed. Kurt did, trying not to think of how many germs he was probably picking up. Then he slowly walked back to Sebastian, who was leaning against one of the stall dividers.

Sebastian pulled a black Sharpie out of his back pocket and handed it to Kurt. Kurt took it, examining it quizzically. “Do you always carry a Sharpie with you?” he asked.

Sebastian shrugged. “Never know when I’m going to have to write my number on someone.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. He should have known. He anxiously fiddled with the Sharpie in his hands. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” he said.

Sebastian sighed. “Look, Kurt. We drove all the way here. Remember why? Because you were fucking angry.”

“Yeah, but…”

“No,” Sebastian insisted, leaning forward and bringing his face close to Kurt’s. “Remember that. Remember that anger. Remember how sickeningly in love you two were. You were practically _engaged_. And then what did he do? Dumped you like you were nothing, and then went on to live his life, steal your friends, and completely ignore you. Now, do you-“ Sebastian was cut off when Kurt shoved past him, pen in hand. Furiously, he scrawled the numbers he’d had long memorized onto the filthy bathroom wall. He remembered Blaine giving him his phone number the first day they met. The _Courage_ texts. He remembered when he’d put that number first on his speed dial. When he’d added a heart to the end of Blaine’s name in his contacts.

 _Call Blaine for a good time_ , he wrote on the wall below it.

He stepped back, and he and Sebastian admired it before leaving.

“Feel better?” Sebastian asked as they walked through the parking lot.

Kurt spun the Sharpie between his fingers, then finally handed it back to Sebastian. “Yeah,” he replied, a little bit surprised it was true. “Yeah, I do.”

Sebastian grinned at him knowingly. “It’s good to be bad, isn’t it?”

Kurt laughed. “Quit while you’re ahead, Smythe,” he said, shoving Sebastian teasingly as they reached the car.


	11. Chapter 11

Kurt was lying on his bed late Sunday afternoon, flipping through an old copy of _Vogue_ when there was a hesitant knock on his door.

“Yes?” he called out, and raised an eyebrow when the door was pushed open to reveal Finn standing there.

“Hey,” Finn said. “Can I come in?”

“Sure,” Kurt said, sitting up but still holding his magazine. “What’s up?”

Finn stepped inside and let the door fall half-closed. “It’s just that- well, I was gonna go hang out with Puck and Sam, and I wondered if you wanted to come.”

Kurt blinked. “What?” he asked, despite having heard Finn perfectly.

Finn sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Look, lately you’ve been spending a lot of time with your new friend, right? What’s her name?”

“Melanie,” Kurt said cautiously.

“Yeah,” Finn nodded. “Melanie. Anyway, I was gonna go to Puck’s, and Sam sort of asked about you, and so…look, I just want you to know that even though you’re not, um, dating Blaine anymore…you still have other friends.” Finn smiled at him. “We’re your friends.”

Kurt felt an unexpected warmth in his chest. He realized that he was sort of _touched_ by what Finn was saying. He coughed lightly to clear his throat. “Thanks, Finn,” he said finally. “But I don’t really think I’d have very much fun with you guys.”

“We were gonna watch Star Wars,” Finn explained.

Kurt smiled dubiously. “I’ve never seen Star Wars.”

Finn’s jaw practically hit the floor. “Never?”

“Never,” Kurt echoed.

Finn shook his head in disbelief. “Then it’s official. You _have_ to come. There’s no way we can let you go off into your adult life without ever seeing Star Wars. We’re leaving in half an hour.”

Kurt stared at Finn for a moment, skeptical, and then rolled his eyes. “Fine,” he said, closing his copy of _Vogue_. “Just because I don’t have anything better to do.”

Finn grinned widely. “Cool. Remember: half an hour.”

Kurt nodded, and Finn left the room. Kurt laughed to himself, getting out of bed and trying to figure out what to wear to a Star Wars viewing.

 

…

 

“ _Aren’t you a little short for a Storm Trooper?”_

Kurt had to admit that, surprisingly, he was enjoying himself.

Finn had driven him over to Puck’s, and Sam had already been over there. Kurt had been welcomed warmly. Sam suggested they order pizza but Kurt had a better idea, and after a few minutes of rummaging through the Puckerman kitchen, he’d collected the ingredients for one of his favorite recipes. The other boys were dubious at first, but soon enough Kurt was ordering them around the kitchen, and they got progressively more excited. Now they were sitting in Puck’s living room eating their homemade veggie pizza, which Finn had proclaimed to be the best thing he’d ever had “without meat or chocolate chips,” and had then asked why Kurt had never made it for him before.

They started the movie(Sam and Puck had also been appalled that Kurt had never seen Star Wars, so they started with A New Hope, which from what Kurt could pick up was both the first and fourth movie), and Kurt found that he actually kind of liked it. Sure, Luke was a little whiny and there were a few more explosions than he usually preferred, but the plot was intriguing and Harrison Ford was young enough to be _super_ attractive.

And, yeah, he was glad that Finn had invited him along. Because frankly, he had a point. Kurt had been avoiding his old Glee friends. Some of them had seemingly chosen Blaine, so Kurt had shut them all out. Sitting there eating pizza off of a TV dinner tray and listening to Sam recite lines along with the movie, though, Kurt was reminded that he wasn’t totally alone.

On the drive home Kurt glanced over at Finn and muttered, “Um, hey, Finn? Thanks.”

Finn grinned slightly. “No problem, bro,” he replied.

 

…

 

Over the next week, Kurt tried to apply himself to reconciling friendships he’d been subconsciously abandoning- he managed to get Rachel on her own for a few hours in which no less than three show tunes were sung, and he even went to the mall with Tina, where they got by with only one awkward mention of Blaine.

Kurt was in a fairly good mood when he got a call on his cell phone Friday morning from an unfamiliar number.

“Hello?” he answered, puzzled.

“Hey, Kurt.” Melanie was on the other end of the line. “You got plans for tonight?”

Kurt grinned. “I don’t know, do I?”

Melanie chuckled. “Yeah. Come to a party with me and Sebastian.”

Kurt glanced up at his door to make sure it was closed tight. “What kind of party?”

“A fun one. In Westerville.” she said, and then Kurt heard someone else speak faintly in the background. “Apparently it’s at a Warbler’s house,” Melanie added.

Kurt raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Melanie replied. “Hold on, let me put you on speaker. I need to put on a shirt.”

Kurt heard rustling, and then Melanie’s voice again, seemingly further away. “So, what do you say? Up for a party?”

“Maybe…” Kurt said, biting his lip. “I don’t know. I don’t think the Warblers even like me anymore.”

“Are you kidding?” another voice asked, and Kurt recognized it as Sebastian’s. “They never fucking shut up about you. Mel, move your goddamned bra.”

Kurt couldn’t hold back a laugh.

“What?” Melanie asked.

Kurt shook his head, amused. “You two just…I almost feel a little intrusive.”

Melanie laughed then. Kurt went on. “What, um, what did you say about the Warblers?”

Kurt heard Sebastian scoff. “Don’t worry, they still like you. When they weren’t blathering on about Blaine, they were all talking about the _perfect countertenor_ they’d lost to McKinley. ‘Kurt’s _voice_ , Kurt’s _hair_ , Kurt’s _ideas_.’ It was annoying as hell.”

Kurt smiled slightly, feeling a blush form on his cheeks. He’d gotten along with the Warblers, and he’d been sad to leave them, but he hadn’t thought that they’d still think so highly of him.

He wondered momentarily what they’d thought, then, when Sebastian had attempted to slushie him. But he didn’t bring it up, partly for Melanie’s sake, and partly because things felt different between him and Sebastian now, after the whole Scandal’s-bathroom-wall event. They weren’t friends, but there was something else between them, closer to respect and further away from animosity.

“Sure,” Kurt said. “I’d love to go to a party with you guys tonight.”

 

…

 

Melanie gave Kurt directions to Sebastian’s house, where she already was, so he could drive there and the three of them could take one car(“in case, you know, more than one of us is incapacitated by the end of the night.”). Kurt told his father he was spending the night with Melanie, which was more or less true, and then headed out towards Westerville.

Sebastian’s house was just as impressive and intimidating as Melanie’s, if not more so. It looked older, as though it had once been some huge Victorian plantation house. Only two cars were parked in the front drive, which Kurt recognized as Melanie’s and Sebastian’s, but there was a stand-alone garage the length of Kurt’s house off to the side. Kurt parked and got out of his car, approaching the front door nervously. He felt very out of place, making his way up the stately front walk, surrounded by manicured bushes and lawns. Despite his penchant for grandeur, he still didn’t feel like he _belonged_ in such a lavish environment.

Or maybe it was just the fact that it was Sebastian Smythe’s house that made him uncomfortable. Who knew?

Just as he reached the door and was about to knock, Kurt felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw that Melanie was calling.

“Hello?” he answered.

“Are you here yet?” Melanie asked.

Kurt blinked. “I’m literally standing outside the front door.”

“He’s here!” Melanie exclaimed, assumedly addressing Sebastian. “Wait right there.”

She hung up then, but Kurt could only stare at his phone for a second before the door in front of him opened, revealing Sebastian.

Neither of them spoke for a moment. Sebastian looked mildly caught off guard, with his mouth open just slightly. Kurt stared back at him, eyebrows raised.

Finally, Melanie pushed past Sebastian and glanced between the two of them. “Hey, boys, cat got your tongues? We’ve got a party to go to.”

Sebastian shook his head. “Yeah, let’s go,” he said.

Kurt nodded, turning on his heel and walking back towards the driveway. Melanie linked arms with him and tugged him towards her car, running barefoot on the cement. “So,” Melanie said as they reached the car. “I certainly do not plan on staying sober tonight. Who’s gonna drive? Kurt, are you gonna do anything?”

Kurt had to keep himself from sighing. While he hadn’t even really wanted to drink or anything, he still sort of resented the fact that it was just _assumed_ that he could be the designated driver, since he was the most goody-two-shoes of them all. And while he knew that Melanie was genuinely his friend, he still couldn’t block out the voice in his head saying that they only invited him so they could have a ride home.

Resigned, Kurt replied. “No, I can drive, if you need it.”

Melanie nodded, content, and made to open the driver’s door when Sebastian, who had been standing right in front of the car, blurted out, “No, I’ll stay sober.”

Both Kurt and Melanie turned to look at him, surprised.

Sebastian cleared his throat. “I don’t need to drink or anything. I’ll drive us home. Kurt doesn’t have to.”

Kurt stared at Sebastian, completely mystified. Sebastian seemed to be waiting for someone to affirm his announcement.

“Okay,” Melanie said finally. “You’ll drive us home.”

With that, the three of them got into the car.


	12. Chapter 12

On the drive to the party- which was being held at the house of a newer Warbler, one named Kevin whom Kurt had never met- Sebastian leaned forward from the backseat and gave a kind of explanation about parties thrown by Dalton’s infamous a cappella glee club.

“Warbler parties are a bizarre sort of mix between classy and trashy,” he said. “They’re rich prep school boys, for the most part-“

“Like you!” Melanie interjected.

Sebastian continued. “-so their parties happen in nice, big houses with long driveways and basically zero chance of having the cops called. There’s always some extremely expensive alcohol that they’ve swiped form their parents’ liquor cabinets. And because they’re the Warblers, the host is sure to be weirdly strict about at least one thing. For example, if you party at Nick’s, you take your shoes off in the foyer. No exceptions.”

Kurt’s eyebrows scrunched up, trying to connect the oddity with the dark-haired boy he’d gone to school with for nearly a year.

“Anyway,” Sebastian went on, “they’re also trashy, because as the Warblers, they’re _crazy_. They have contraband booze and whatever cheap stuff they’ve convinced people to buy for them. It’s a party full of hormone-crazy boys and whoever they invite along to try and get off with. Plus the odd public school friend who will supply drugs. And that’s without even discussing the music choice at these things.”

Melanie glanced back at him as she pulled to a stop at an intersection. “I feel like you’ve lured me into some sort of trap,” she commented.

Sebastian grinned impishly, leaning back and folding his arms behind his head. “You’ll have fun. It’s insane, yes, but good insane. Controlled danger. Enjoyable chaos.”

After that the drive was mostly quiet, the participants considering the events that might occur later in the night.

They arrived at the house(large and isolated, as predicted) and parked among the sea of other haphazardly stopped cars. Sebastian took the lead to the front door, pushing it open without pausing to knock. They were immediately surrounded by the sounds of pop music and loud chatter. People standing around the front room, which featured tile flooring and a large staircase, turned when the door opened. Someone called out Sebastian’s name and moved towards them, clapping Sebastian on the shoulder. Boys around them, a few of which Kurt vaguely recognized, looked at Melanie, their eyes widening at her voluminous hair, coyly curled lips, and short skirt. The trio moved forward through the crowd, heading towards a door that seemed to lead to a living room. More people had noticed and acknowledged Sebastian, and Kurt was looking around, a little overwhelmed, when he heard someone call out his name.

“Is that _Kurt Hummel?_ ”

Kurt looked around until he finally found someone approaching him, someone he recognized- though just barely, without the typical Dalton uniform. It was Trent, one of Kurt’s former fellow Warblers.

“What are you doing here?” Trent asked once he got closer.

“I was kind of invited, through a couple people,” Kurt tried to explain.

Trent shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. This is great! Come on, the guys will want to see you.”

Trent waved Kurt forward then, leading him into the living room. They passed a crowd of people playing Spin The Bottle(Kurt momentarily wondered whether anyone ever gets tired of the same repetitive party games every time, all flimsy excuses for foreplay), and walked through the room towards another door, which led to a kitchen. In and around the doorway was a group of people Kurt recognized.

“Guys, Kurt is here!” Trent exclaimed. The group of Warblers turned and saw Kurt, then reacted in varying degrees. Kurt heard a chorus of his name and a couple cheers, but was mostly overwhelmed when Jeff practically tackled him into a hug.

“Kurt!” Jeff cried. “You’re here! I miss you!”

“Jeff is more than a little drunk,” Trent explained rather gratuitously.

“I know!” Thad exclaimed from the kitchen. “Kurt’s here! Thank God, he can settle this!”

Laughter rose from the boys, several of them rolling their eyes.

“What?” Kurt asked, confused.

“Just go,” Nick said tiredly. “Appease him.”

Kurt made his way through the doorway and into the kitchen, where Thad was leaning against an island in the center of the room. “Kurt, of all people, you have class, right?”

Kurt raised an eyebrow. “I like to think so,” he replied.

Thad nodded seriously. “Good. Than take a sip of this and tell me what you think.”

Kurt dubiously took the glass that Thad held out to him. “This isn’t going to poison me?” he asked.

Thad rolled his eyes. “It’ll rock your world.”

Kurt hesitantly took a sip, and after swallowing, took another. “This is fantastic,” he told Thad.

The Warblers around him cried out, mostly in annoyance.

“And _that_ is why cocktails are not a waste of alcohol, you uncultured _swine_!” Thad yelled at the boys surrounding him.

Kurt couldn’t help but smiling. “Make me another one of these,” he told Thad, who was only too happy to comply.

As time went on Kurt enjoyed himself immensely. He had two of Thad’s wonderful mixed drinks and hung around with his old schoolmates, talking and catching up, laughing and teasing. Some of the graduates were also heading east for college, and Kurt excitedly made plans with them to visit during the school year. There was absolutely no mention of Blaine, which slightly puzzled Kurt, until he realized later in the night that they’d probably seen the break up on Facebook and had been tactful enough not to bring it up.

Eventually Kurt left the comfort of his group of old friends, partly because he felt like mingling and partly because Jeff actually grabbed his wrist and pulled him away. Kurt was introduced to Kevin, the owner of the house. Kurt couldn’t help but notice how attractive the boy was, but the fake-redheaded girl clutching his arm also didn’t escape Kurt’s attention.

“I used to be a Warbler,” Kurt said loudly over the music- they were in the room with the sound system. “But I don’t think we’ve met.”

“I just joined last year,” Kevin replied, pushing his sandy blonde hair to the side. “I’ve been at Dalton since I was a freshman, though.”

“We were there at the same time for a year then,” Kurt said, smiling demurely despite the fact that Kevin was clearly with a girl. So maybe the booze was making him flirty, he couldn’t help it. “Maybe we ran into eachother sometime.”

“Maybe,” Kevin answered with a smile of his own.

“Anyway, _great_ party,” Kurt said, leaning forward to lightly pat Kevin’s shoulder. He could feel the muscle beneath Kevin’s thin denim shirt, and he was sure that the girl on Kevin’s other side was shooting him dirty looks but he didn’t particularly care. “I’m so glad I came.”

“I’m glad too,” Kevin told him, and then, at the insistence of the redhead, he bade Kurt goodbye and went into the next room.

Jeff, who had been dancing, abruptly ran into Kurt. “Were you _hitting on Kevin_?” Jeff asked in a stage whisper which, despite the loud music, was still pretty damn audible.

Kurt rolled his eyes and placed his hands on Jeff’s shoulders to steady him. “No, we were just chatting. He was obviously taken. And straight.”

Jeff shrugged exaggeratedly. “There have been rumors about him.”

Kurt scoffed. “It’s Dalton. There are rumors about _everyone_ being gay.”

Jeff nodded. “I guess so. Hey, I love this song! Dance with me!”

So Kurt, laughing tipsily, let Jeff lead him forward to dance.

…

 

Sebastian sat in a deck chair on the back patio, idly swirling a cup full of Diet Coke. He’d been fending off drink offers all night- people seemed rather surprised that he wasn’t partying the way he usually did. He was kind of surprised himself. He didn’t typically see the use in going to a party if all he was going to do was sit there and talk to people. He guessed he could have danced, too, but he just didn’t feel like it. Drink offers weren’t the only thing he’d been turning down that evening, anyway. He had more than a bit of a reputation and there were some willing boys at the party, be they out-and-promiscuous Dalton students or closeted public school boys, so it wasn’t remarkable that he’d been getting hit on. What was unusual was that he wasn’t pursuing anyone himself. He had his pick of boys to fool around with, but instead he sat on the patio with his alcohol-free drink and stared out over the backyard like some sort of wallflower. He couldn’t really explain it, besides the fact that he had promised he’d drive, and without the heat of intoxication or the atmosphere of a dancefloor, hooking up just seemed kind of useless.

Kurt had been dragged off by one of the more obnoxious Warblers nearly as soon as they arrived. Mel and Sebastian had stuck together for a while, wandering around the house, lingering in some places, but eventually Melanie found Kevin’s room, where the stoner contingent was located, and Sebastian had left, not in the mood to sit around and listen to a bunch of high people chatter. So he’d been on his own for a while when the back door opened and none other than Kurt stepped out onto the patio.

It wasn’t like they were the only two people out there- there was a couple on the opposite end from Sebastian, the girl in the guy’s lap, whispering to eachother softly. There were also a few people milling around on the edge of the patio, sometimes venturing out into the back garden as they smoked cigarettes. Still, Sebastian couldn’t help but take notice when Kurt walked out.

Kurt glanced around, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the dim porch lights outside. After a moment he saw Sebastian, sitting off to the side.

Kurt approached him, wiping sweat off of his forehead as he walked. It was cool and refreshing outside, a nice change from the crowded, stuffy atmosphere within the house. Kurt pulled up a matching chair and set it adjacent to Sebastian’s, sitting down heavily. “Hey,” he said.

“Hi,” Sebastian responded after a moment.

Kurt leaned forward, moving closer to Sebastian and observing the cup in his hand. “Are you drinking?”

“No,” Sebastian said harshly. Could no one trust him to not drink for one night? Christ. “It’s just Coke. Chill out.”

Kurt leaned back again, eyebrows drawn. “I am chill,” he argued. “Anyway, it’s not a big deal. Are you having fun?”

Sebastian shrugged, kind of wishing he could be left alone again, despite what a loser he’d looked like.

“You know, if you want, you can drink,” Kurt told him. “I mean, I just drank a little, right when we got here. I’ll totally be able to drive.”

Sebastian scoffed. “Said every drunk person, ever,” he commented. “It’s fine. I’m not going to have anything.”

They sat quietly for a moment, listening to the muffled sound of music from inside, the quiet conversation of the smokers, and the crickets chirping out in the darkness.

“Thanks for inviting me,” Kurt said suddenly. “You didn’t have to.”

Sebastian took a sip of his drink. “Mel wanted to,” he responded first, almost defensively. “And, well…you know, you were a Warbler once.”

“Yeah,” Kurt said, staring off into the darkness. “I guess I thought that bridge burned when they went along with my attempted assault.” Kurt blinked, then glanced over at Sebastian, who was looking away. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring that up. I’m drunk.”

Part of Kurt wondered why he felt bad for reminding Sebastian that, yeah, he had previously tried to physically harm him. That kind of thing isn’t really taken lightly by Kurt, after he had to weather years of bullying. But Kurt couldn’t help but remember that Sebastian had brought him his favorite dessert to apologize, that he’d abstained from getting drunk tonight so that Kurt could. They were walking on thin ice and Kurt didn’t know what they were or where they were going, but he didn’t really want to mess it up, either.

Sebastian didn’t say anything, and Kurt was afraid that he’d made him angry, or something, so he hurried to keep talking, trying to change the subject. “It’s nice, seeing all the guys again, but it’s kind of weird too.”

Sebastian responded after a moment. “Weird how?”

Kurt shrugged. “I dunno. It’s just that…thinking about Dalton makes me think about Blaine. He’s the reason I went there and I spent most of that year pining over him, and then dating him. So seeing the Warblers again, talking to them…it reminds me of him. Not in a bad way, really, just…it’s weird.”

“Oh,” Sebastian said, rather awkwardly. Kurt hardly heard him, though, because he was lost in his thoughts.

“Do you want to know how we broke up?” Kurt asked abruptly.

Sebastian looked over at the other boy. “I don’t care.”

Kurt smirked. “Yeah, you do. You’ve probably been dying to know since you found out, huh? Did you ask him about it? Nevermind. It doesn’t matter. I don’t know what story he’s giving out anyway. So, do you want to know?”

Sebastian had to admit that he was more than a little curious about how the dream couple had finally fallen apart, and despite having spoken to Blaine once since the split, Sebastian didn’t know any details. He also knew that now, when Kurt was boozy and they were alone, was probably going to be his prime opportunity to find out. “Fine. Tell me.”

Kurt sighed. “He just didn’t care about me anymore,” he said forlornly. “Just like that. After all we went through, switching schools and fighting off bullies and everything else…it didn’t mean anything. He didn’t love me anymore.”

It was quiet for a moment, and Sebastian prayed that Kurt had more to say, because he had no fucking clue how to respond to that.

Luckily, Kurt did add something. “He told me when he broke up with me that people change. That he’d changed, and that’s why he didn’t love me anymore.”

Sebastian snorted. Kurt turned his head sharply, confused. “What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Sebastian said easily.

Kurt narrowed his eyes, but smiled slightly. “No, what?”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Just, you know, that’s total bullshit.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow. “You think so?”

“Yeah,” Sebastian said confidently. “People don’t just up and change overnight. You have a certain personality, a certain way that you are, and that’s who you are. If we just changed all the time then…we wouldn’t really be ourselves, right?”

Kurt was still puzzled. “I don’t know if I believe you. Experiences…they make you different. So if you experience different things you could become a different person, right?”

Sebastian sighed. “Okay, take me, for example. I am who I am. A lot of people don’t like who I am. A lot of people have made that clear, but that hasn’t changed me. And, yeah, in spring I had a…certain experience that made me reevaluate some of my choices. So maybe I decide to be slightly less of a dick. But I’m still the same _person_. My feelings about everything haven’t changed. I just resolved to occasionally be a little less vocal about other people’s shortcomings, in case they’re fragile or whatever.”

Kurt sat there and stared at him, blinking. He couldn’t believe that Sebastian had brought up the Karofsky situation so casually. After the initial shock, though, he could see what Sebastian was trying to say.

“That’s an interesting point,” Kurt finally replied. “I can see what you mean.”

“But you still don’t believe me,” Sebastian concluded.

Kurt shrugged. “I dunno. I think it’s more complicated than either assumption.”

They fell back into silence, both boys thinking.

The back door slammed open, and Kurt and Sebastian turned to see that Melanie had come onto the patio.

“There you are!” she exclaimed upon seeing them. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Go where?” Kurt asked.

“Home,” Melanie replied. “I spilled soda all over myself. I want a shower and a really warm, fluffy bed.”

Sebastian and Kurt laughed, but stood up and followed her back through the house so they could leave. As the three of them departed, Kurt realized that he’d just had his first real one-on-one conversation with Sebastian- without Melanie to buffer them or a public setting to keep in mind. And it hadn’t been half-bad.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Tis the season to be stressed out by finals and term papers! Falalalalalalalala.  
> Good luck to those out there who are going through exams, hope this can ease everyone's stress a little bit!

While they were in the car driving away from the party, something occurred to Kurt.

“Where am I spending the night?” he blurted out from the backseat.

Sebastian and Melanie glanced at eachother. “Well,” Sebastian said once his gaze was fixed back on the road. “Since you’re drunk, and Melanie’s baked like a pot brownie, and I’m sure as hell not driving all the way to Lima to drop your sorry asses off…it looks like you’re staying at my place.”

Kurt leaned back against his seat. He knew it had been stupid of him not to have thought of this before, but he still felt as though this was somehow unfair. He hadn’t signed up for a night in Sebastian’s lair.

They arrived back at the Smythe mansion and got out. Sebastian shushed them as they reached the door.

“My parents are asleep,” he told them. “So be quiet.”

It was dark inside the house, so Kurt couldn’t make very much out. Mostly he focused on clutching Melanie’s arm and trying not to run into anything. Eventually they were up a flight of stairs and inside a bedroom, where Sebastian closed the door and turned on the light.

The room wasn’t messy, like Kurt had expected it to be. It was almost eerily neat, actually, more like a military bunker than a teenage boy’s bedroom. The walls were blank and most things in the room were shades of brown or gray. The furniture was beautiful, clearly expensive and handcrafted. Kurt was admiring Sebastian’s bed frame, wondering what sort of wood it was made of, when he was hit with a pillow.

“Ow,” he muttered, still remembering to be quiet. He turned around and saw that Sebastian, of course, had thrown it. “What was that for?”

“For you to sleep on, idiot,” Sebastian retorted. “You get the floor.”

Kurt sneered back at him. “No problem,” he said sarcastically. “I’d probably get an STD just by touching your sheets.”

He was shut up when Sebastian pulled a comforter out of his closet and threw that at Kurt, too.

Kurt made himself a place to sleep on the floor, on the far side of Sebastian’s bed. The carpet was so plush that it was probably just as comfortable as his own bed, though he’d never admit that aloud. Melanie began taking off her clothing and then collapsed onto the bed, where she spread out and sighed like it was the most wonderful thing she’d ever experienced. Kurt lay down, still in his clothes but not really caring, just before Sebastian flicked off the lights, leaving the room pitch black.

…

 

Kurt was woken up by a sharp knocking, immediately after which he heard Sebastian mutter, “Shit!”

Before he could even begin to guess what was going on, Kurt felt hands pressing on his back through the blanket, shoving him towards the bed.

“What the-“ Kurt began, but was interrupted by Sebastian’s urgent whisper.

“Please please please just go under the bed and shut the fuck up for two minutes, okay?”

Shocked, Kurt didn’t respond, allowing Sebastian to push him under the bedframe he’d admired the night before.

Then Sebastian walked to the door and opened it slightly.

“Hey, Dad,” Sebastian said to the suited man standing in the hall. “Sorry, just woke up.”

“Out late last night?” The man, who had hair and eyes similar to Sebastian’s but none of his lanky build, asked.

Sebastian shrugged. “Not too late.”

The man nudged the door open further with his foot, peering past Sebastian. “Hello, Melanie,” he greeted the girl lying in his son’s bed.

Melanie smiled and waved. “Hi, Aaron. How are you?”

Sebastian’s father nodded curtly. “Just fine, thanks.” He turned back to Sebastian. “If I remember correctly, you aren’t supposed to be having any people over.”

Sebastian raised his eyebrows innocently. “Has it not been a month yet? I hadn’t realized.”

The man shook his head, slowly.

“I didn’t know that Melanie was included in that,” Sebastian added.

“Melanie is, in fact, a person, so that would mean she too isn’t supposed to stay the night.”

Sebastian nodded. “I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t realize, I swear it.”

Mr. Smythe’s eyes were narrowed, but he stepped back, not arguing. “Alright. Well, I’m off to work.”

“On a Saturday?” Sebastian asked, mock-incredulously.

His father smirked. “You know how it is. I’ll see you tonight. Goodbye, Melanie.”

“Goodbye, Aaron!”

Mr. Smythe turned back to his son, fixing him with a stare before saying, “Goodbye, Sebastian.”

“Bye, Dad.” Sebastian replied, waiting for him to turn around before closing the door.

It was very quiet and still in the room for a moment as they listened to the retreating footsteps down the hall. Finally, Sebastian said, “Okay, princess, you can come out now.”

Ignoring the name, Kurt rolled out from under the bed and sat up. “What the hell was that for?” he asked.

Sebastian walked back to his bed, sitting down on it heavily. “Are you deaf, or did you hear him say that I’m not supposed to have people over? Particularly ones of the male variety.”

Kurt blushed slightly at the thought- if he’d been seen would it have been assumed that he was one of Sebastian’s _hook-ups_? He shuddered at the thought.

“Then why’d you have us over?” Kurt asked.

Sebastian threw up his hands, exasperated. “Because you were drunk, okay? I didn’t want you to fucking die, Jesus. Why are you so uptight?”

“Sebastian,” Melanie warned.

Sebastian sighed, standing up again. “I’m making coffee,” he announced, leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.

“He’s just annoyed with his dad,” Melanie explained. “He shouldn’t be taking it out on you.”

“Why can’t he have guests, anyway?” Kurt asked, irritated.

Melanie sighed. “He was grounded after the headmaster sent this letter about misconduct in class….it’s not a big deal. He can still go out and stuff, and usually his parents aren’t even around enough to pay attention to what he does. This is the third time I’ve spent the night here since he got in trouble.”

Kurt stood up, stretching. He felt slightly hungover, his head aching. His clothes were rumpled and lopsided, his hair was undoubtedly a mess, and he felt a strong need for a shower and a mocha. “I’m gonna head out,” he said.

“Okay,” Melanie replied, sliding out of bed and looking around for pants. “I’ll talk to you later.”

Kurt left the room and headed down the hallway, trying to remember how he’d gotten to Sebastian’s room last night and how he was supposed to get out of the house. He found the stairs and went down them, then took a right turn and found himself in the kitchen.

Sebastian was leaning against the counter next to a coffeemaker that was bubbling away. Sebastian had his phone out it, and was looking at something at it- through thick-rimmed glasses.

Kurt made a noise of surprise in the back of his throat, at which Sebastian’s head snapped up. They met eyes, neither of them speaking for a moment.

“I’m just, uh, trying to leave,” Kurt stammered.

“Right,” Sebastian answered, but didn’t give any directions.

They were quiet again for a second, until Kurt couldn’t help but ask. “You wear glasses?”

Sebastian’s mouth opened slightly, and then closed. He reached up to touch the frames resting on his nose, almost as though he meant to take them off, but didn’t. “Uh, yeah. Sometimes. When I’m not wearing contacts.”

Kurt swallowed. “Oh, okay.”

More awkward silence ensued.

“You’re leaving?” Sebastian asked.

Kurt nodded.

Sebastian blinked, setting down his phone. “Um, if it’s because I was a dick to you upstairs…you don’t have to go yet. If you don’t want to.”

Kurt shook his head. “No, it’s fine. I need to get home, anyway. Don’t want my dad asking too many questions.”

Sebastian nodded slowly. “Well, the front door is out there,” he said, pointing to another exit from the kitchen.

“Okay,” Kurt replied, walking past him and towards the door he’d gestured at. “And, uh, thanks for letting me stay.”

“Sure,” Sebastian said. “I mean, whatever. I wasn’t gonna make you sleep in your car.”

Kurt nodded, and then quickly said “Bye,” before leaving the room. It was getting way too weird in there for his liking.

Kurt made the drive home then, spending his time trying and failing to pick out the strangest part of his morning.

…

 

When Kurt arrived home he made his way towards his bedroom, but was stopped when he heard his father call his name. He backtracked and poked his head into the kitchen.

“Dad!” he said, surprised. “Weren’t you supposed to work today?”

Burt shrugged from where he stood by the counter, eating a low-fat muffin. “I called in sick.”

“Are you okay?” Kurt asked.

“I’m fine,” Burt replied. “That’s the nice thing about owning where you work- no one asks twice.”

Kurt smiled. “I’m gonna go shower, but I think I’ll make myself an omelette after. Do you want one?”

“Are you going to make it just with the egg whites?” Burt asked suspiciously.

“Yes,” Kurt said.

Burt shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Laughing, Kurt went upstairs to shower and change clothes.

…

 

Once Kurt was clad in shorts and a tank top and had fixed himself a veggie omelette, he went out to the living room where his father was sitting to eat. They both watched the basketball game on the TV for a couple minutes before Burt turned down the volume and looked over at his son.

“So, you’ve been spending a lot of time with this Melanie girl lately,” he commented.

Kurt swallowed a bite of omelette. “Yeah,” he replied. “So?”

Burt shrugged. “I don’t know. I’d kind of like to meet her.”

Kurt stared at his father for a moment. “Why?”

“Because you’re hanging around her a lot and you’re my kid and I like to know who your friends are.”

Kurt sighed. “Dad, can I remind you that I am an adult?”

Burt smirked. “I know, and I’ve only got you for another couple months, so just let me play the concerned father for as long as I can, alright? I promise I won’t show up at your school next year and insist on being introduced to all of your new friends. So just invite her over for dinner of something, hmm?”

Kurt laughed slightly. “Fine,” he said. “I’ll talk to her about it.”

“Great,” Burt grinned, then picked up the TV remote and turned the sound back on.

Kurt’s head still ached after he ate, so he decided it was high time for some espresso. He drove to the Lima Bean and was happy to see Melanie’s car in the lot. He went inside and ordered, leaning over the counter to where Melanie was making drinks and telling her to take her break soon. He sat down with his coffee and enjoyed it until Melanie joined him about ten minutes later.

“Hey,” she said as she sat down, pulling her hair out of its bun and running her fingers through it. “What’s up?”

“I have an invitation for you,” Kurt announced.

“Really?” Melanie asked. “I’m intrigued.”

Kurt narrowed his eyes. “Actually, first I have a question. Are those the clothes you wore last night?”

Melanie stuck her tongue out at him. “Shut up. I barely had time to get here from Westerville, let alone go home and change.”

“That skirt barely covers your ass,” Kurt pointed out. “Isn’t there some sort of dress code here?”

“The apron covers everything anyway,” Melanie said sourly. “Now tell me what you’re inviting me to.”

Kurt chuckled. “You want to come to my house for dinner tomorrow night?”

Melanie raised an eyebrow. “Ooh, I get to finally visit the Casa de Hummel?”

“Hummel-Hudson, actually,” Kurt said. “But that’s irrelevant. My dad just wants to meet you.”

“Is your dad cool?”

Kurt smiled. “Yeah, he’s pretty cool.”

Melanie tilted her head, considering. “Okay, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll come over for dinner if you go somewhere with me.”

“Where?” Kurt asked.

“This lame dinner party thing.”

Kurt snorted. “You sell it so convincingly.”

Melanie rolled her eyes. “My parents are forcing me to go. It’s on Tuesday night. We just have to hang around a bunch of rich people for an hour or so.”

A dinner party on a Tuesday?” Kurt asked.

Melanie shrugged. “Aristocrats can afford to party all week long.”

“Why don’t you ask Sebastian?” Kurt inquired. “He’s used to snobby rich people.”

“His parents will probably be there, but they don’t make him go. Besides, you’ll be more fun to make snide remarks with.”

Kurt grinned, savoring the feeling of being told he was better than Sebastian Smythe. “Fine,” he said. “I’ll break out my nice suit.”

“Great,” Melanie said, almost bouncing in her seat. “When should I come to your house tomorrow?”

“Sixish,” Kurt told her, and then gave her his address before she had to return to work.

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finals are over, holidays are very nearly here. It's a good time. Thank you all for your comments and kudos and simply coming back to read. I hope this chapter entertains you.  
> Happy holidays!

Having Melanie over for dinner was great. She arrived just as Kurt had finished cooking, so he answered the door still apron-clad to let her in.

She smirked at him. “Usually _I’m_ the one wearing an apron when we see eachother,” she pointed out, and Kurt laughed.

He introduced her to his father and Carole, who were sitting in the kitchen after having set the table. “I have a stepbrother, too,” Kurt told her, “but he’s not here right now.”

“He’s out with his girlfriend, Rachel,” Carole supplied.

Melanie shot a confused look at Kurt. “Your stepbrother is dating _the_ Rachel?”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “You don’t know the half of it.”

Melanie got along with Kurt’s parents just fine, talking and laughing with them, comfortable and at-ease. At one point Melanie’s family was brought up, and Burt said, “I may have met your father before. I’ve talked to city council a couple times, about funding for the school at what not.”

Melanie scoffed. “Well, rest assured that my political views differ vastly from my fathers’. I think it’s great what you’re trying to do for the arts in education, Mr. Hummel.”

Burt smiled, elbowing Kurt gently. “I like this girl,” he told his son, at which Melanie laughed.

After dinner they had sorbet, and Burt and Carole went into the living room to watch something on TV. Kurt and Melanie stayed at the table, eating their dessert.

“So what’s this dinner thing I have to go to with you?” Kurt asked.

“Some charity thing,” Melanie replied. “Silent auction, maybe? It’s in some hotel ballroom in the middle of nowhere outside of town. I can pick you up at like six.”

“Okay,” Kurt said. “And why do you have to go to it, again?”

Melanie rolled her eyes. “Because my parents are both going and they want me to be there so they can pretend they have a perfect family and have me tell everyone they know about how I got accepted to a selective liberal arts college, so on and so forth.”

Kurt cocked an eyebrow. “Sounds fun.”

Melanie laughed. “Sorry. Maybe if you’re with me we won’t have to talk to people as much. Maybe they’ll think you’re my _date!_ ”

They both laughed at the rather absurd notion. “People will probably think I’m cheating on Sebastian,” Melanie went on. “They think he and I are practically engaged.”

Kurt looked at her as she spooned sorbet into her mouth, puzzled. “Isn’t Sebastian…you know, out to everyone?”

Melanie made a dismissive gesture with her hand. “Well, yeah, but this is the upper-class society of a conservative region. They are constantly in denial. Seb and I have known eachother since we were kids and are seen together all the time. It’s like some sort of arranged marriage love story to them.”

“Weird,” Kurt commented.

“Yeah,” Melanie concurred. “Try living with it.”

 

…

 

On Tuesday, Melanie picked Kurt up and began driving out of town. “You look great,” she said when she’d picked him up. He’d smiled at the compliment, glad that his discount suit and slim tie looked good to others’ eyes, as well as to his own. He knew that the tooth-and-nail fight in an online auction for the suit would pay off one day. Melanie looked good as well- her hair was up in an elegant bun and she wore a tight dress, white with swirling black designs. Kurt had never seen her so formal before.

Melanie briefed him further on the event as they drove. “Luckily it’s not a sit-down thing,” she told him. “More of mingle, drinks-and-hors-de-oeuvres, buffet sort of deal, opposed to a banquet. That means that we can avoid people we don’t want to talk to easier. It’ll also be easier to sneak away once I’ve put in some time for my parents. It goes til ten but we don’t need to stay nearly that long. Also, I’m gonna warn you now that I might be kind of a dick to certain people, because I don’t like them, and you’re totally allowed to follow suit if anyone is rude to you. Just because they’re rich and donating to some charity doesn’t mean they get to be assholes and get away with it.”

Kurt bit his lip, trying not to laugh at Melanie’s fervor. “Okay, noted,” he affirmed.

Finally, they pulled up a long driveway to an elegant looking hotel. Melanie ignored the valet service and parked her car in an outlying lot, then turned it off. “Okay,” she said, turning to look at Kurt. “Here we go.”

 

…

 

“Do you want some champagne?” Melanie asked.

Kurt glanced around. “Are we allowed to?”

Melanie shrugged. “I’m friends with the wait staff. I can get us some. It’s not like anyone’s gonna kick us out for it.”

Kurt sighed, looking forlornly around the expansive room. “Yeah, I’ll have some.”

Melanie disappeared through a door out of the room, and Kurt tapped his foot impatiently, listening to the chatter around him. Just as Melanie had predicted, the room was full of impeccably-dressed adults, primly eating appetizers and sipping from glasses of white wine. Kurt had been a little awed by it at first, but got over it once he realized the very dry conversation comprised mostly of conservative politics, real estate locations for vacation homes, and investment strategies.

Kurt was daydreaming of classy pre-Tony dinners he might someday attend when he was startled by a familiar voice nearby. He turned around, trying to eavesdrop and reveal whoever he’d heard.

“…right. Charlie’s in Houston for work, but I decided the drive was worth it.”

“So business is going well, then?”

“Oh, yes. Same as usual. Did you see what year this Sauvignon was?”

Kurt stepped back, hitting the wall and feeling the wood and marble paneling. He pressed himself against it, as though being on the edge of the room would somehow conceal him. But there was nowhere to hide in the vast chamber.

“Was it a ’97?” the overheard conversation continued.

“I don’t know…it’s nice, though. Charlie and I just found this ’76 Cabernet that’s wonderful. You should come over and try some.”

Kurt squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Then he quickly pushed himself off the wall and went through the door Melanie had used only minutes before.

He found himself in a carpeted hallway. He guessed randomly to turn to the right, and luckily found the telltale double doors around a corner. The kitchen.

Kurt pushed through the doors. Melanie was only a few feet away, leaning against a stainless steel counter. She had a glass of champagne in each hand and was smiling coyly up at a boy in a catering company uniform.

Kurt approached her, wrapping his fingers around her arm. “ _There_ you are!” he exclaimed, forcing a smile at the caterer boy. “Come on,” he said, dragging Melanie back through the doors and into the hallway. She pulled out of Kurt’s grip angrily, but still careful not to spill the champagne she held.

“What the hell was that?” she asked, irritated. “I was talking to that guy.”

“Fooling around with the wait staff? Please.” Kurt rolled his eyes. “Way too _Dirty Dancing_. Anyway, we’ve got bigger problems.”

“Such as?” Melanie asked, her eyebrow quirked in annoyance.

“We need to leave, now,” Kurt said.

“What are you talking about? We’ve been here 25 minutes. My parents will kill me if I don’t stick around for at least an hour.” Melanie studied Kurt. “Why? What’s wrong?”

Kurt deflated, looking up at the ornate ceiling as he replied. “Blaine’s mother is here.”

“Oh,” Melanie said after a moment.

“I can’t go back out there,” Kurt insisted. “I’ll just hang out back here until you can leave.”

“Wait in the hallway for forty minutes?” Melanie asked, incredulous. “Kurt, that’s ridiculous.”

Kurt shrugged. “I can go flirt with the catering staff.”

Melanie smiled momentarily. Then, in a hushed tone, she said, “Come on. Stick by me. We’ll try to avoid her, there are a lot of people out there.”

“And if we can’t?” Kurt asked hopelessly.

“Then we’ll talk to her, meaningless small talk about how awesome your life is now that you’re free from her super-lame son.”

Kurt’s lips tugged upwards slightly, but his heart still felt heavy, his stomach tight with nervousness. “Okay,” he said. “But I’m going to need this.” He grabbed one of the glasses of champagne from Melanie and downed it in two gulps. Then he considered the other glass in Melanie’s hand and took that from her too.

“Hey!” Melanie exclaimed.

Kurt finished off the drink and stuck his tongue out. “You’re gonna have to drive us out of here in the next hour. No booze for you.”

Melanie sighed. Kurt set the glasses on a decorative side table and then took Melanie’s arm. Together, they headed back to the party.

Unfortunately, they were not as lucky as Kurt had hoped they’d be.

They were talking to a couple who were apparently the parents of someone who’d gone to school with Melanie. The woman had greeted Melanie with a tight-armed hug and a kiss on each cheek. Kurt could tell that Melanie was trying to mask an expression of horror as the two introduced themselves as Mr. and Mrs. Lodell.

“Kurt Hummel,” Kurt said, reaching forward to shake their hands in turn, thankful that Mrs. Lodell didn’t kiss him, as well.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Mr. Lodell said. “And where do you go to school? Are you one of those Dalton boys?”

Kurt smiled. “I did go to Dalton for a while, but I graduated from McKinley High, sir.”

Mr. Lodell nodded, and then his wife chimed in. “Are you going off to school this year?”

“Yes,” Kurt answered. “I’m going to the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts in the fall.”

“Oh, dramatic arts?” Mrs. Lodell asked curiously.

“I’m interested in acting and singing,” he told them.

“So we may be standing in the presence of a future superstar?” Mr. Lodell asked.

Kurt laughed, feeling himself blush. “Perhaps.”

“And what about you, Melanie?” Mrs. Lodell asked. “You got into Bard, right?”

“Bates,” Melanie corrected, forcing a smile. “In Maine. That’s where I’ll be next year.”

“That’s just lovely,” Mrs. Lodell commented. “You kids are all so accomplished these days. Our Jennifer is going to a track and field camp in Canada this summer, did you know?”

“Yeah,” Melanie said sourly at the mention of her ex-classmate. “She mentioned it.”

At that point they were interrupted by a waiter offering them asparagus spring rolls from a tray. Melanie winked at the waiter as she took hers, and Kurt realized it was the same boy she’d been talking to in the kitchen.

It was during this distraction that Mrs. Lodell said, “Oh, look Greg, there’s Angela! I haven’t seen her in ages. She had a son at Dalton, didn’t she? Angela!”

And suddenly the waiter was gone and Kurt was turning to find himself face-to-face with none other than Blaine Anderson’s mother.

Angela Anderson blinked. “Kurt,” she said in disbelief. “Is that you?”

Kurt plastered a smile on his face that undoubtedly looked painful but forged ahead anyway. “Yes, Mrs. Anderson, it’s me.”

“What a surprise!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

Melanie kindly chose to interject. “He’s a friend of mine,” she said, reaching forward to shake hands with Mrs. Anderson. “Melanie Brooks.”

“Angela Anderson,” she replied.

Then, because it seemed as though in this sort of situation everyone is required to recite their pedigree, Melanie explained, “My father is Chase Brooks, he’s on city council.”

“Oh, right,” Mrs. Anderson said, with no tinge of recognition in her voice. “Very nice. Kurt, how have you been?”

Kurt swallowed, trying to remember the pep talk Melanie had given him out in the hallway. “Just great,” he began in what he hoped was a convincing voice. “Enjoying my summer, definitely. Gearing up for school in the fall.”

“Good, good,” Mrs. Anderson murmured.

Something then occurred to Kurt, and before he had time to think twice about it, lest the opportunity disappear, he asked, “How’s Blaine?”

Mrs. Anderson seemed rather surprised by the question, so Kurt went on. “I mean, I haven’t really seen him since school ended.” _Or since he completely broke my heart,_ Kurt added internally.

“Uh, he’s fine, fine,” Mrs. Anderson said slowly. “Actually, he’s just been offered a job for the rest of the summer.”

Kurt tried to keep his lips from curling up as he asked her, “Is it, ah, the same job he had last year?”

Mrs. Anderson blinked. “Why, yes, it is,” she affirmed.

Kurt felt something petty in him rise up, internally cackling at the thought that Blaine was singing at an amusement park four days a week.

Mrs. Anderson continued to talk. “We did have to get him a new phone the other day, though,” she said. “He kept getting strange calls on his old one.”

Kurt choked on the spring roll he’d just taken a bite of. He glanced over at Melanie to see that her expression was as stricken as he felt. Melanie blinked and then turned when Kurt tried to cough, seeing that her friend was having difficulty breathing. She helpfully pounded on his back a few times, and Kurt managed to get his breathing under control. Meanwhile, Mrs. Anderson and the Lodells had been discussing prank calls.

“Teens just give out their numbers too freely,” Mrs. Lodell said. “It’s no wonder they have problems like this. For a while, Jennifer kept getting calls from debt collectors, can you imagine? Someone must have put the wrong number down somewhere and it ended up being hers, poor girl. Maybe something like that happened with your son, Angela.”

“Maybe…” Mrs. Anderson said uncertainly.

“That’s, uh,” Kurt stuttered. “How bizarre. But good that you’ve got it under control.”

Mrs. Anderson nodded. “Yes, and other than that he’s been quite well.”

Melanie looked at the watch on her wrist. “Oh!” she exclaimed. “I’ve got to go find my father, tell him no more wine if he’s going to drive home. Nice talking to you all.”

The adults said goodbye and Melanie pulled Kurt away.

“Are we finding your dad?” Kurt asked.

“Nope,” Melanie replied, leading him towards the exit. “We’re leaving.”

“Has it been an hour?”

“Fifty-five minutes,” Melanie told him. “Close enough.”

They walked outside, where the air was warmer and wetter than the carefully air-conditioned interior of the building. They headed for the lot where Melanie’s car was.

“I can’t believe it worked,” Kurt muttered while they paused for Melanie to take off her heels.

“What?” she asked.

“Writing Blaine’s number on the wall at Scandal’s.”

Melanie snorted. “Yeah, it worked well enough that he had to tell his mom. Can you imagine that conversation? ‘Mom, strange men are booty calling me. I mean, more than usual’.”

“Shut up,” Kurt told her, whacking her lightly on the arm.

“Why?” she asked.

Kurt shrugged. “I feel bad.”

“Do you?”

Kurt sighed. “Well, I feel like I _should_ feel bad.”

Melanie laughed. “Come on, that was hilarious. And what kind of name is Angela Anderson, anyway?”

Kurt smirked.

“I’m serious!” Melanie insisted. “It sounds awful! What was her maiden name?”

“I don’t _know_!”

Giggling, the pair reached the car and got in. They drove back into town, reliving the events of the evening and constantly bursting into laughter. Instead of going straight home they stopped for ice cream, walking into Baskin Robbins in their formal attire and ordering sundaes, then talking and giggling loud enough that they were asked to leave the restaurant.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the last update of 2013!

Friday night found Kurt, Melanie and Sebastian sitting in the bowling alley parking lot, waiting for darkness. They planned on going to their ‘spot’ by the golf course, but the country club had yet to close and according to Melanie and Sebastian, a groundskeeper went around before sunset, so they’d have to wait. Kurt and Sebastian sat on the hood of Seb’s Audi, which had the top down and the radio on. Melanie sat on the curb and lit a cigarette.

“It’s so nice to be legal,” Melanie was commenting as she smoked. “I don’t need to worry about being asked for ID or anything.”

Kurt glanced over at Sebastian. “Did she turn eighteen recently?” he asked.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Yeah, May.”

The boys smirked and Melanie glared at them half-heartedly, until the song on the radio changed.

“I _love_ this song!” Melanie exclaimed, jumping up and reaching into the car to turn the volume up. She began to sing along, and after a moment Kurt joined in.

“ _Write a song, make a note, for the lump that sits inside your throat,_ ” they sang together. Melanie was not as tonally inclined as Kurt, but made up for it in enthusiasm. The chorus came around and they sang to eachother, Melanie dancing around next to the car. “ _Your trojan’s in my head, your trojan’s in my head…_ ”

“Shut up, you two,” Sebastian said, exasperated. “We’re gonna get a noise complaint.”

Kurt and Melanie finished the song anyway, laughing teasingly. When it was over, Melanie turned the radio volume back down. Sebastian still looked thoroughly annoyed.

Kurt leaned over and nudged Sebastian with his elbow. “Why don’t you sing?” he asked.

“What?” Sebastian seemed personally affronted.

Kurt rolled his eyes. “I mean, you were the lead singer of your high school show choir. Why do you get mad at us for singing? Seems like you should be joining in.”

Sebastian scoffed. “I’m not like you and your happy-go-lucky Glee club, Hummel.” Recently Sebastian had reigned in the actual name-calling and settled with simply referring to Kurt by his last name. Kurt figured it was a good thing. “I’m good at singing,” Sebastian went on, unabashedly conceited, “and I don’t mind it, but I don’t wake up every day and begin belting out Good Morning Baltimore like you undoubtedly do.”

Kurt blinked at Sebastian for a moment. “You’ve seen Hairspray?” he asked, disbelieving.

“What?” Sebastian asked, confused.

Kurt stared at him intently. “You know Good Morning Baltimore. You’ve seen _Hairspray_?”

Sebastian swallowed quickly. “What, is that where it’s from?”

Kurt laughed incredulously. “Sebastian Smythe, you totally saw Hairspray. And you liked it, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sebastian said.

Kurt could hardly answer for laughing. “You did it for Zac Efron, didn’t you?” he asked. “Who can blame you? Oh my God. This is the best thing that’s ever happened.”

Sebastian pushed himself off the hood of the car forcefully. “You’re full of shit, Hummel,” he said, before heading towards the space in the fence and slipping into the country club, disappearing into the darkness.

Kurt turned to Melanie, whose amused face was lit up by the glow of her cigarette. She shrugged. “He’s always had a thing for Zac Efron,” she commented, then took another drag while Kurt laughed himself silly. Melanie stood up and motioned to Kurt, and together they followed Sebastian’s lead and headed for their spot.

…

 

On Monday Melanie called Kurt and told him, “There’s a concert in Columbus I wanna see tomorrow. Twelve bucks to get in. You wanna come?”

Kurt thought for a moment. “It’s not, like, a heavy metal concert or anything?”

Melanie laughed. “Nah, they’re an indie kind of band. I think you’ll like ‘em. Go with me?”

Kurt grinned. “Sure, I’m in.”

So Kurt found himself in Mel’s car, heading out of Lima the next evening. “We’re gonna have to stop in Westerville,” Melanie told him. “Sebastian called me ten minutes before I left the house and insisted I pick him up.”

“Is he going with us?” Kurt asked.

Melanie shrugged. “I dunno. I told him we were going into Columbus to see a show, but he said to get him anyway. Is it okay if he tags along?”

“Yeah,” Kurt said absently. It wasn’t like it was exactly uncommon.

In due time they reached Sebastian’s house, pulling up the long driveway. Melanie honked her horn and then idled in the driveway, waiting.

After about two minutes(and another honk) Sebastian emerged form the house, yelling something over his shoulder that Kurt couldn’t quite hear. Sebastian jogged over to Melanie’s car, pulling open the back seat and hopping in quickly.

“Can we please fucking leave?” he asked, his breath slightly elevated.

Kurt and Melanie shared a look. Mel shifted gears and they drove away.

“Are you going to the show with us, Seb?” Melanie asked as they got on the road again.

“Show?” Sebastian asked distractedly. “Um, no. Please just take me somewhere I can get drunk.”

Kurt snorted, but Melanie looked concerned. “Why?” she asked.

“Um, because I’d like to forget my own name with the assistance of alcohol and possibly sex,” Sebastian said plainly.

Melanie looked at him in the rear-view mirror. “Is something wrong?”

“Yes,” Sebastian answered. “Something is very wrong: I’m sober.”

Melanie sighed, but didn’t comment further. The three drove in silence for a while.

Once they reached the highway exits for Columbus, Sebastian instructed, “Drop me off at Pyramid, off 6th street,”

Melanie, seemingly reluctant, took an exit and headed for the location Sebastian had indicated. She pulled into a parking lot and turned off the engine, then turned around to look at Sebastian. “It’s early for clubbing,” she pointed out.

Sebastian shrugged. “I’ll go pick up a coffee and wait til there’s a good crowd.”

Melanie bit her lip, glancing at the clock. “You know I don’t like it when you go out alone,” she told him.

Sebastian leaned forward and patted Melanie’s head patronizingly. “I’m a big boy, Mel. I can take care of myself.”

Melanie sighed. “Fine. Kurt and I have to leave now. I’ll call you when we’re gonna pick you up, okay? So keep your phone on and answer it.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Okay.”

“And be careful,” she added. “Please try not to attract any date rapers, okay?”

Sebastian scoffed. “I’m more than willing, sweetie, I don’t need to be raped.”

Melanie clenched her jaw, but didn’t push it. “Okay. Have fun.”

“I will!” Sebastian replied as he got out of the car. Melanie watched him walk out of the parking lot and cross the street before she turned the car back on and pulled out.

The doors of the restaurant/bar where the concert was had already opened when they arrived, and it seemed fairly crowded. They had no problem buying tickets, though, and they walked inside and let their eyes adjust to the darkness. It wasn’t a very big venue, but it was tastefully decorated and the atmosphere was nice- all around them people laughed and chatted and sipped on drinks.

The band was called Family of the Year, and Melanie was right- Kurt did like them. Their music was catchy and the lyrics good, and they put on a fun show, interacting with the audience and staying loose. Kurt and Melanie stood fairly close to the stage, surrounded by other people. Kurt knew none of the words but still tried to sing along, his arm around Melanie’s shoulders as she laughed at him and cheered on the band.

At the end of the show the crowd started to disperse. Amid the noise Melanie said into Kurt’s ear, “I’m gonna go to the merch table, see if I can meet the band.”

“Okay,” Kurt replied. “I have to use the restroom, I’ll find you after.”

They parted ways, and Kurt headed for the back of the room where the bathrooms were. When he came back out, he saw that there was a large crowd around the table where the band was, selling and signing things. Kurt couldn’t pick Melanie out and didn’t feel like fighting through the crowd to find her, so he settled with leaning against a wall and waiting for her to appear.

“Hey.”

Kurt blinked, looking up to his right, where a boy was now resting against the wall next to him. To be honest, Kurt wasn’t entirely sure if he was who the guy was talking to.

“What?” he asked after a moment.

The boy laughed. He was around Kurt’s height with tousled dark hair, and he was holing a plastic cup filled with what looked like soda. “I said ‘hey’,” the boy repeated.

“Oh,” Kurt said. “Hi.”

The boy smiled, showing off a row of straight and very white teeth. “Did you like the show?”

“Yeah,” Kurt answered, still confused as to why this boy was talking to him. “It was a lot of fun.”

The boy nodded, then took a sip of his drink. “Yeah, they’re pretty cool. I’m Steven, by the way.”

“I’m Kurt,” Kurt replied, smiling.

“Pleasure to meet you, Kurt,” Steven said. “So, what’re you up to tonight?”

Kurt shrugged. “I mean, I just came here with my friend, so I’m hanging out with her.”

“That girl you were with?” Steven asked. Kurt raised an eyebrow, and Steven quickly added, “You and her were in front of me, during the show.”

“Ah,” Kurt said. “Yeah, she’s my friend.”

“Not a girlfriend? You two seemed pretty close.”

Kurt laughed. “Um, no, not a girlfriend. She’s…not my type.”

Steven smiled. “Cool. You go to OSU?”

Kurt blinked, startled. This guy thought he was a college student? “No,” he answered, and continued without thinking. “I actually just graduated from high school.”

“Wow,” Steven said, half-smiling. “You looked older than high school. I go to OSU, but I didn’t think I’d seen you before. Where are you gonna be next year?”

“New York,” Kurt told him.

“Ooh, off to the big city,” Steven commented. “Hey, are you sticking around? Can I buy you a drink?”

Kurt opened his mouth slightly, but couldn’t speak for a moment. “Um, I, no, I think I’m leaving as soon as my friend turns up. But thank you, really.”

Steven shrugged. “Ah, well, that’s too bad. I would’ve liked to chat for a while.”

Kurt could feel himself blushing, so he was grateful when Melanie approached him from the other side. “Kurt!” she said, making herself heard over the general noise. “We should go.”

Kurt smiled apologetically to Steven. “Bye,” he said. Steven waved him off, and Kurt followed Melanie out of the building.

“Were you talking to a _boy_?” Melanie asked as soon as they were outside.

Again, Kurt blushed. “Well, he was talking to me, really.”

“Wait, was he the dark-haired one that was standing behind us?”

“Apparently,” Kurt confirmed.

“I knew it!” Melanie exclaimed. “He was totally looking at you during the show.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Let’s get out of here, okay?”

“Yeah,” Melanie said, sighing. “Let’s go drag Sebastian out of a bar.”

 


	16. Chapter 16

_God_ , _summer is great_ , Sebastian pondered as the boy moved to suck on the skin of his neck.

Summer was by far Sebastian’s favorite season. He loved the array of shirtless men, the itching heat that gave everyone that restless, fleeting feeling that _all of this will be over_ in September, or in the morning, or at the end of this song. He loved the desperation, the freedom. Students came home for the summer months and flooded the clubs, with nothing better to do. Vacationers looking for a good time were around every corner. Everyone was looking for a good time, and everyone wanted it _now_.

Once Sebastian got good and drunk- accomplished with overpriced shots, just to get the job done- he’d hit the dance floor. He moved through the crowd, boy to boy, until he settled on a dark-skinned, college-aged one, wearing a tight wifebeater that displayed his impressively defined chest and arms. They’d danced together for a while, brushing against and eventually intentionally grinding on eachother. Sebastian had leaned forward and breathed a few words in his ear about _somewhere more private_. Then they’d weaved through the other bodies, sneaking through a side door into the open air, and now were making out up against the building’s wall.

Another perk of summer- you can take your hook-ups outside.

As the boy licked down his throat, Sebastian moved his hands along his sides, lifting up his shirt to trail his fingers lightly against the boy’s abs…the moving downward to palm the boy’s erection through his jeans.

That was when Sebastian’s phone began to ring, the default beeping sort of noise. Seb tried to ignore it, but then the boy asked, “Is that yours?”

Regretfully, Sebastian moved his hand from the other boy’s crotch and reached into his pocket, answering his phone.

“What?” he asked, irritated.

“Where are you?” it was Melanie. “I’m picking you up.”

“I’m a little busy,” Sebastian told her, his breath hitching as the other boy’s hands began to explore.

“Look, Smythe, I’m your ride, and I’m outside a crowded gay club stopped in the middle of the street. Get the fuck out here before I get a ticket.”

Sebastian sighed. “Fine. Hold on.” He hung up the phone and slipped it back into his pocket, then addressed the boy sucking on his shoulder. “Look, I’ve gotta go. Really sorry.” He pulled away, the boy’s lips detaching with a _smack_ , and then frowned apologetically. “Bye.”

Sebastian turned and walked away, admittedly not very steadily. Luckily he managed to find the front of the club without much trouble. He could see Melanie’s red car, indeed stopped in the middle of the street. Smiling in spite of his annoyance, he made his way to it and opened the back door, sliding in heavily.

“ _Finally_ ,” Melanie muttered, pulling forward.

“I was kind of in the middle of something when you called,” Sebastian told her.

“See if I care,” she responded.

The car was quiet for a while as Melanie focused on driving and Sebastian pouted in the back. Once they were on the freeway Mel asked, “Seb, am I taking you home or are you coming to Lima with me and Kurt?”

Sebastian laughed. “Please for the love of God don’t take me back to my house,” he said, rather loudly. “The last thing I need is to come home drunk so my father can resume yelling at me.” Sebastian unbuckled his seatbelt and reclined across the whole back seat before continuing. “About a two! A fucking two! I take an AP class and my father gets mad at me, the crazy bastard. The problem is that there’s no way to cheat on those fucking tests.”

It was quiet for a moment before Melanie said, “Guess you’re sleeping at my house, then.”

They drove for quite a while without talking, the radio turned on low. Kurt stared out the window at the dark exterior, watching the moon follow them, thinking.

Both Kurt and Melanie laughed when they heard a snore emanate from the backseat. Melanie sighed. “Sometimes I worry about him,” she muttered absently.

“Melanie,” Kurt ventured. “Is Sebastian’s family, you know, super strict?”

Kurt remembered, so many weeks ago, when he’d asked her a similar question. He’d never gotten a clear answer, since Sebastian had barged in and thoroughly insulted Kurt. Funny how things had changed since then.

“Not exactly,” Melanie told him. She spoke softly, even though Sebastian was clearly passed out. “I mean, they’re pretty lax about some things. They let Sebastian party and they know what he’s doing, more or less. They’ve always been totally accepting of him being gay. And they’re nice people, they really are. Not nice the way your parents are, but…pleasant. Kind. The thing is…their whole family is super successful. Seb’s dad is the state attorney. His mom is a painter- she’s got pieces of art displayed in Paris.”

“Wow,” Kurt breathed.

Melanie nodded. “It helps that they have relatives there, but still, she’s incredibly talented. And Seb’s sister, Lila-“

“Sebastian has a sister?” Kurt interrupted.

“Yeah,” Melanie confirmed. “Why?”

Kurt shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I’m still getting used to Sebastian even having parents. I used to think he was just the spawn of Satan, or something.”

Melanie snorted loudly. “Anyway, yeah, he has a sister. She’s three years older than he is. She’s studying pre-law at Northwestern.”

“Impressive,” Kurt commented.

“Yeah,” Melanie said. “And she’s not home for the summer because she’s in an exchange program in Shanghai.”

Kurt whistled slowly. “Damn.”

“So,” Melanie continued, “you can see that he has a lot to live up to. His parents are cool with him doing what he wants…they just always want him to do really well. I guess they just kind of…they think that the only way to be happy is to be really successful. They can’t see it any other way. So even though he’s a star lacrosse player and captain of the Warblers and a clever bastard, they still find things that aren’t, well, totally perfect about him.”

“I can think of a few,” Kurt muttered.

Melanie reached over to lightly punch him on the shoulder. “Nobody’s perfect,” she told him. “And despite the way he acts, it’s not easy being him. So even though he’s a complete douche at some points, try to cut him a little slack, okay?”

Kurt sighed. “Yeah, yeah, okay.”

When they arrived at Melanie’s house they had to drag a mostly-unconscious Sebastian out of the car, then support him between the two of them as they went into the house. The staircase to the second floor was the biggest setback, but eventually(about five times longer than it would normally take) they made it upstairs and into Melanie’s room. Mel quickly set up a place to sleep on the floor and they lay him down there(Melanie kindly removing his shoes). Kurt then took off his clothes, too exhausted to be prudish. He pulled on a borrowed pair of sweatpants and then collapsed onto Melanie’s bed, still shirtless. Smiling tiredly, Melanie turned off the lights and crawled in next to him.

…

 

When Kurt woke up, there was a Post-It note stuck to his forehead.

He removed it, blinking blearily as he read it. _Parents are at work. I’m downstairs. –Mel_

Kurt rolled out of the bed, nearly stepping on Sebastian’s still sleeping form in the process. Without bothering to put on a shirt- Melanie had said they had the house to themselves, after all- he headed downstairs.

He found Melanie in the den, sipping from a cup of coffee and watching the new Pride and Prejudice on the huge TV.

Melanie looked up when Kurt entered the room and said, immediately defensive, “It was playing on cable. There’s nothing else on this early in the day.”

Kurt smirked. “I’m not judging you,” he told her.

“Good,” Melanie replied, returning her gaze to the screen where Darcy was asking Elizabeth to dance. “I mostly just watch it for Bingley. Hottest ginger ever, right?”

Kurt laughed. “Are we gonna have breakfast?”

“We can go somewhere,” Melanie suggested.

Kurt shrugged. “Or I could cook. You have ingredients for omelets?”

Melanie smiled at him. “There’s so much stuff in my pantry we probably have the ingredients for a nuclear bomb.”

Melanie turned off the television and together they went to the kitchen. Kurt began cooking and by the time he was halfway through making Melanie’s omelet, Sebastian stumbled into the kitchen. Kurt was laughing, standing over the stove and sipping from a mug of milky coffee while Melanie recounted the story of her disastrous first date. Mid-laugh, Kurt looked up and saw Sebastian standing there, hair mussed, day-old clothing disheveled. He stood in the doorway, watching Melanie and Kurt, but not saying anything. Kurt’s eyes met his for a moment.

“Hi, Sebastian,” Kurt said.

Melanie turned around, smiling shrewdly at the tousled boy. “Morning, Sleeping Beauty,” she said teasingly.

Sebastian wordlessly flipped her off and shuffled over to the kitchen table, sitting down slowly.

“Do you want an omelet?” Kurt asked. “I’m almost done with Mel’s.”

Sebastian looked up at him, annoyed. “No, I don’t want an omelet. I want painkillers.”

Melanie rolled her eyes. “You know where they are, you big baby,” she told him. “I’m not gonna take care of you.”

With an irritated huff, Sebastian stood and left the room again. Kurt folded over Melanie’s omelet and then moved it onto a plate. He and Melanie sat down at the table, eating their breakfast. After a couple minutes, Sebastian returned.

“Did I mention,” he said without preamble when he walked into the kitchen, “that my parents are going away next week?”

“You did not,” Melanie informed him. “Where are they going?”

“Condo,” Sebastian said simply.

Melanie nodded knowingly, then turned to Kurt to explain. “Seb’s family owns a condo in Paris. They visit it a couple times a year.”

Kurt blinked, unsure of what to say. The fact that the Smythes owned a second home in France probably shouldn’t have surprised him, but somehow it caught him off guard. “Right,” he finally agreed.

“So,” Melanie faced Sebastian as she took a bite of omelet. “What’re you gonna do? Throw a party?”

Kurt wanted to laugh at the predictability of it all, but he restrained himself.

“I guess so,” Sebastian replied, eyeing Melanie’s coffee. “They leave on Tuesday and get back on Monday.”

“We could have _multiple_ parties,” Melanie suggested wickedly.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Yeah, if you wanna be the one who cleans up.”

“You’re gonna hire a cleaning service anyway,” Melanie argued.

“Yeah, and I’m not gonna give them an excuse to overcharge me. One party. Friday night.”

Melanie sighed, but she couldn’t keep from smiling. “Okay, fair enough.”

…

 

The nice thing about talking on the phone with Rachel Berry is that she does most of the talking herself.

In the past, Kurt had occasionally found this irksome, particularly when he had called her with some sort of news and she had refused to shut up long enough for him to actually tell her. Most the time, though, he didn’t really mind. During the school year he could just put her on speakerphone and do homework while she went on about Finn and glee club and Quinn and her dads and everything else she could possibly talk about. Currently he was doing much the same thing, but instead of homework he was wandering around his room labeling things with Post-it notes. He and Rachel had planned a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond later that week to get things for their dorms, but before he went out and bought new things he had to decide what he was bringing with him from home. He’d therefore gone out and bought an array of Post-its and was now color-coding his possessions: blue for coming to New York, pink for staying at home, green for storage, and yellow for getting rid of.

“Did you get that email from NYADA?” Rachel’s voice emanated from where Kurt’s phone was set on his bookshelf. “About the dorm rules? I can’t believe the no-non-students rule. I mean, where is Finn supposed to stay when he visits me? A hotel? That’s ridiculous. Plenty of colleges don’t care about that sort of thing.”

“Yeah,” Kurt said loud enough for her to hear, which was enough for her to continue speaking. He half-listened as he examined his collection of magazines. Most of them were marked with yellow Post-its, ready to be recycled. As he picked up one, however, something fluttered out of it onto the ground. Kurt leaned down to pick it up, and then gasped softly.

It was a wallet-sized photo of Blaine, one that Kurt himself had taken. They’d gone to the county fair the first summer they were together, taking photos all day on a cheap disposable camera. Afterwards they’d gone to a pharmacy and gotten the photos developed, printing out and keeping their favorite ones. In the one Kurt held, Blaine was sitting on a bench, smiling and squinting with the sun in his eyes, a Ferris wheel visible in the background.

Perhaps the photo had once been tacked to Kurt’s wall and had fallen down, or maybe he’d been using it as a bookmark in his magazine. Regardless, he held it now, his heart thumping, Rachel’s chatter faded to white noise in his ears.

Taking a deep breath, Kurt very deliberately stood up and reached for his Post-its. He carefully pressed a pink one onto the photo, covering Blaine’s face. Because he was leaving it behind.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys seemed rather enthused by the last update, so I'm hoping I can continue to please by giving you another chapter. Thank you for reading, commenting, everything!

On Friday morning Kurt and Rachel hit the mall for college shopping. They made their way through the aisles of Bed Bath and Beyond, searching for waste baskets and side table lamps and “extra long” sheets.

“Four years sleeping in a twin sized bed,” Kurt lamented as they picked through the linens.

“Don’t be silly,” Rachel told him. “By junior year we’ll definitely have gotten our own apartment.”

Kurt scoffed. “And you think we can afford anything big enough to fit a queen sized bed?”

They turned a corner and ended up in an aisle full of cleaning solvents. They were walking down it idly when Kurt realized with a jolt that someone was at the other end of the aisle. Not just anyone, either, but Sebastian.

“Ugh,” Rachel suddenly muttered. “Look, it’s Sebastian Smythe.”

“Yeah,” Kurt replied, equally quiet. His mind was racing, wondering how the hell he’d gotten into this situation. Was Sebastian going to acknowledge him? How was he supposed to explain that to Rachel?

“Just looking at him makes me sick,” Rachel muttered, glaring in Sebastian’s direction.

“Then maybe you should stop staring at him,” Kurt suggested.

Rachel turned to look at him in umbrage, but her retort was interrupted when they heard someone say, “Kurt! Funny seeing you here.”

It seemed as though Sebastian had noticed them.

Kurt looked up to see Sebastian standing in front of them, arms crossed, and easy smirk on his face. It was an amusing contrast with the last time Kurt had seen him- hungover and irritable, dark circles under his reddish eyes, staring listlessly as Kurt left Melanie’s house.

“Hi, Sebastian,” Kurt said to him.

“I didn’t expect to run into you and Little Miss Muffet here,” Sebastian commented.

Rachel puffed out her chest in annoyance. “For your information, _Sebastian_ , we’re here shopping for college supplies. I doubt a low life like _you_ would understand.”

Sebastian smiled even wider, as though he’d just heard a bit of pleasant news. “Wow, Rachel, did the Ringling Brothers Circus College accept you? That’s fantastic.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. He could practically feel the anger rolling off of Rachel. “Kurt and I will be attending one of the most prestigious performing arts universities in the country next year,” Rachel said. “The New York Academy of Dramatic Arts. Maybe you’ve _heard_ of it.”

Sebastian nodded, mockingly appreciative. “Wow, impressive. Off to the big city. Hey, maybe we’ll run into eachother there! I’ll be at NYU in the fall. You’ll undoubtedly serve me my coffee sometime.”

Rachel made some sort of spluttering reply, but Kurt hardly heard it. Sebastian was going to college in New York? That felt like the kind of thing he should have found out before this. He felt almost angry that Melanie had never told him.

“Anyway,” Sebastian said. “If you _must_ know, I’m here to stock up on furniture covers and air freshener. I’m having a party next week, you see, and I’ve got to be prepared.”

Rachel scoffed. “Well, I’m sure your orgy of debauchery will be very enjoyable.”

Sebastian chuckled. “Oh, it will, but you’re certainly not invited. Kurt’ll be there, though. Right, Kurt?”

Kurt froze. For a second he was filled with loathing for Sebastian. He knew that Sebastian was intentionally putting him on the spot, just for entertainment value. It was probably more to rile up Rachel than anything, but still, Sebastian had to know that Kurt would get repercussions from this. Kurt, admittedly, hadn’t been completely honest with his friends about his recent truce, and perhaps even the start of a friendship, with Sebastian. He figured that as long as his Glee friends never mixed with Melanie and Sebastian, everything would be fine, and no one would get mad at him. Now, however, his plan had been foiled.

With both Rachel and Sebastian staring at him, Kurt cleared his throat nervously and said, “Yeah, I guess so.”

Sebastian grinned. “See you on Friday, then.” With that, he turned around and loped easily away, disappearing into the store.

Rachel turned to Kurt so quickly her hair whipped around her head. “What the hell was that?”

…

 

Unfortunately, the pair had taken Rachel’s dads’ car to the mall, so she was the one driving them home.

“Why on Earth are you going to a party at Sebastian Smythe’s house?” she demanded as she backed out of their parking space without looking behind her.

Kurt sighed. “My friend Melanie was going to go, and she asked me to go with her, so I said yes.” That was more or less the truth.

“What would possess you to agree to that?” Rachel’s voice was getting progressively louder.

“She’s my friend, okay, and she needed a designated driver. I wasn’t going to say no to her,” Kurt answered. It was true that Melanie would likely be incapable of driving after Sebastian’s party, but it was also true that she was probably going to sleep there anyway.

“Maybe this Melanie is a bad influence on you,” Rachel said as she slammed on the breaks for a red light. Kurt jerked forward, his seatbelt nearly choking him.

“You’ve said five words to Melanie,” Kurt retorted as he adjusted his seatbelt. “You can hardly make any sort of judgment.”

“Anyone who’s friends with Sebastian is deserving of judgment,” Rachel said resolutely.

“Maybe Sebastian’s not as bad as he used to be,” Kurt felt extremely strange defending Sebastian, considering he spent most of the time in Sebastian’s presence being thoroughly annoyed by him. “I mean, he apologized for everything he did. He did that song at Regionals.”

Rachel sniffed. “I never bought that. The whole thing was probably just to get the sympathy vote to get to Nationals.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, despite having considered the exact same thing. “Whatever, Rachel. Anyway, don’t judge Melanie because of things Sebastian did, okay?”

“I don’t know, Kurt,” Rachel said, turning to look at him. “You’ve just been acting sort of different all summer.”

Kurt snapped. “Maybe because I got my fucking heart broken, okay?” he exclaimed. “Now would you please watch the road so we don’t _die_!”

Rachel meekly returned her gaze to the windshield. They sat quietly for a moment.

“I’m sorry,” Rachel muttered.

Kurt took a deep breath. “Thanks. Just…I’m not going to go and become best friends with my old nemesis, okay? I’m just going to his house, for one party, with a friend of mine. So don’t jump to conclusions or anything.”

Rachel nodded, still keeping her eyes on the road. “Okay, fine.”

Things seemed okay between them after that, but Kurt couldn’t ignore the feeling of guilt that was collecting in his stomach- because that wasn’t the truth, was it? He’d spent more time with Sebastian that summer than he had with Rachel. Not necessarily by choice, but still. He had the feeling it was going to be a lot more difficult to keep balance in his social life after this.

…

 

Once Kurt got home he brought his shopping bags upstairs, closed the door to his room, and dialed Melanie’s number on his cell phone.

“Why didn’t you tell me Sebastian’s going to school in New York?” he asked before she could finish saying ‘hello’.

“What?” she asked.

“Sebastian’s going to NYU,” Kurt stated.

“Yeah,” Melanie confirmed. “Why?”

“I mean, I don’t know,” Kurt stammered. “I just feel like that’s something I should have known.”

“Okay,” Melanie said, puzzled. “Well, Sebastian is going to NYU. Is that a problem?”

Kurt sighed, sitting down on his bed. “I don’t know. I’m just not sure about how I feel about us both being in Manhattan next year.”

“Well, it’s not like you can do anything about it,” Melanie told him.

“I guess so,” Kurt replied.

“I mean, I know you guys have some issues with eachother,” Melanie said, understating the situation greatly. “But it’s a big city. I’m sure you won’t have to see him if you don’t want to.”

“Yeah,” Kurt agreed. He was starting to feel a little silly about the whole thing. Sebastian would have been in New York the next year whether they’d hung out some this summer or not. Nothing had changed. “Okay, thanks.”

“No problem,” Melanie replied.

“I’ll talk to you later,” Kurt said.

“Bye,” Melanie told him before hanging up.

Kurt sat on his bed, shrewdly examining the framed photo of the Manhattan skyline he had hung on his wall.

…

 

Kurt spent much of his weekend with Finn marathoning episodes of the surprisingly addictive show Teen Wolf on Netflix. Over the course of two days they made their way through eleven episodes. On Monday afternoon they were watching the season finale on the television in the living room, on the edge of their seats, when Burt and Carole walked in.

“Not now, Mom,” Finn said immediately, his eyes never leaving the screen.

Burt scoffed, picking up the remote and pausing it. “Hey!” Both Finn and Kurt exclaimed.

“Calm down,” Burt replied. “You can watch your show in a minute. We’ve gotta tell you something.”

The boys looked at their parents. Kurt seemed semi-alarmed, and Finn just looked confused.

“We’re going out of town for the weekend,” Carole announced.

The boys blinked. “Why?” Finn asked.

“My niece just had her baby, so I wanted to go to her place in Cleveland and help her get all settled,” Carole explained.

“And she’s dragging me along,” Burt grumbled.

“Lexi was pregnant?” Finn exclaimed.

“No, honey,” Carole replied. “Lexi is twelve. Her sister Ally was pregnant. I told you that.”

Finn shrugged.

“Anyway,” Carole went on. “We’ll leave on Thursday and be back on Sunday in time for me to work at six. Can you boys handle that?”

“Sure,” Finn mumbled.

“Yes,” Kurt replied.

“Great,” Carole said. Finally, Burt unpaused the TV and Kurt and Finn could continue watching.

…

 

On Tuesday, Kurt got a call from Melanie. “Hey, what’re you up to tonight?”

“Absolutely nothing,” Kurt answered truthfully.

“Wanna come to Sebastian’s with me?” she asked.

Kurt bit the inside of his cheek, considering. “Maybe.”

“He says he wants to hear about Rachel Berry’s blowup.”

Kurt snorted. “Of course he does. He likes to see the messes he causes, huh?”

“So, what exactly happened?” Melanie asked cautiously.

Kurt sighed. “Just come pick me up tonight. I’ll tell you about it.”

So Kurt packed an overnight bag and told his father he was sleeping at Melanie’s, and then waited for her to arrive. Eventually, Kurt was sitting shotgun in Melanie’s car, his feet resting on the dashboard as he told the story of his run-in with Sebastian a few days prior.

“So then he goes, ‘but Kurt, you’ll be there, right?’ So of course I have to answer yeah, and then he just walks away, leaving me to deal with Rachel-“

“Hold on,” Melanie interrupted. “I’m just…I don’t understand why your friends hate Sebastian so much.”

Kurt sighed, looking out the window. “Well, to be honest, I used to hate him just as much. Probably more. I mean…he was really, really terrible to us.”

Melanie glanced over at Kurt momentarily. “He tried to slushie you, right?”

Kurt nodded. “Yeah. But that’s not all. He was mean to us all year- mostly as an intimidation tactic, I know, so that we wouldn’t beat him in competitions. But he also felt like a really big threat to me, when it came to Blaine…I mean, he was rich and handsome and smart and debonair. It just worried me a lot. I thought I was going to lose Blaine. I did, ultimately, although it wasn’t Sebastian’s fault.” Kurt sighed. “Oh, and there was that time he blackmailed my stepbrother.”

“What?!” Melanie exclaimed.

Kurt rolled his eyes. “It was dumb. More plans to keep us out of the running for Regionals. Still, it was pretty low.”

“Blackmailing…” Melanie muttered to herself. “I can’t believe him. I’m gonna have to talk to that boy.”

“Wait,” Kurt said, sitting up straight. “Don’t, like, tell him that I told you about all of that. I don’t want him to think I’m tattling or anything.”

Melanie smirked. “Funny how you care what he thinks now.”

Kurt opened his mouth to give a retort, but found that he wasn’t quite sure what to say. He settled for _harrumph_ ing and crossing his arms.

When they arrived Melanie let them in through the unlocked front door, not bothering to knock. They walked into the living room and found Sebastian lounging on the couch in sweatpants and a T-shirt, watching TV.

“There you are,” he said, muting the TV when he noticed them. “Hey, you know what I really want? Tortilla chips. Oh my god. And guacamole.”

Melanie stared at him. “What have you eaten today?” she asked.

Sebastian shrugged. “Macaroni and cheese. Ice cream.”

Melanie snorted. “You’re hopeless. You seriously cannot take care of yourself.” Sighing, she gestured for him to get up. “Put on shoes. We’ll get you some guacamole.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 100 kudos, goodness that is exciting.

Ninety minutes and a trip to the grocery store later, Kurt, Melanie and Sebastian were sitting on the living room floor with a giant bowl of homemade guacamole in the center.

“This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten,” Sebastian announced as he dipped another tortilla chip into the bowl.

“I just got the recipe online,” Melanie said.

“Email it to me,” Kurt commanded. “It’s probably the lemon juice.”

They continued to eat and idly chat until they had finished the whole bag of chips. After that Melanie and Sebastian made to dip their fingers into the remaining guacamole, but Kurt grabbed the bowl from their reach. They whined as he got up to go put it in the fridge and save it for when there were more chips available.

When Kurt returned to the living room Melanie and Sebastian had turned on a game console attached to the giant television and were beginning some sort of video game. Melanie glanced up when Kurt entered the room and said, “Hey, Sebastian just reminded me that I have work in the morning, so is it okay if we leave at, like, seven?”

Kurt sighed melodramatically. “You wait until we’re in Westerville to tell me that?”

Melanie shrugged apologetically.

“It’s fine,” Kurt told her. Honestly, he didn’t mind much. He was more or less a morning person.

Grinning, Melanie turned back to the game screen on the television. It seemed to be some sort of racing game. Kurt watched them play for a while, but started to get bored. He stood up, slipping his hands into his pockets, and began to wander around the room. While it was stylishly decorated, it wasn’t stark or excessively modern. It homey and comfortable. There were photos on the wall, and not just the family-portrait kind that adorned the walls at the Brooks house. Instead, Kurt found himself holding back giggles at the sight of a youthful, toothy, messy-haired Sebastian. In several of the pictures that seemed middle-school era, Sebastian was also sporting glasses. A girl who Kurt assumed was Sebastian’s sister was also featured in many photographs, with wavy dark hair and the same thin frame as Sebastian. Eventually Kurt did find one of their whole family, although it seemed less stiff than the ones at Melanie’s. Kurt recognized Mr. Smythe, who he had glimpsed only once from underneath Sebastian’s bed. The final member of the family, assumedly Mrs. Smythe, was a breathtakingly beautiful woman with long, straight black hair and a pale complexion.

Kurt had wandered out of the living room, gazing at the various photos on the hallway walls, and found himself eventually in a smallish room with bookshelves around the edges, huge windows on the outer wall with their blinds drawn, and a baby grand piano in the center. Kurt was staring at it, rather mesmerized, when he was startled by the clearing of a throat behind him.

Kurt whirled around to see Sebastian leaning against the doorway. “Are you spying on me, Hummel?”

Kurt smiled nervously. “I have no reason to spy. We’re not rivals anymore.”

“Oh,” Sebastian said, raising his eyebrows. “I must not have gotten the memo.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. The comment that once would have been snide was now only slightly teasing. Kurt tipped his head towards the piano. “Do you play?”

“Yeah,” Sebastian answered. “I used to take lessons. I think it’s a rich person thing.”

Kurt glared at him. “ _I_ know how to play,” he said.

Sebastian smirked. “Well, color me corrected. Go on, Hummel. Wow me with your middle class piano forte skills.”

Kurt gave him a look, but stepped over to the piano anyway. He lifted up the cover and glossed his fingertips over the keys before settling into chords. He played the first few measures of some classical song he’d had memorized forever, which he did not know the name of- his mother had taught him from memory, on the keyboard that they’d kept in the living room of their old house.

Sebastian wore a look of slight surprise. Kurt found himself holding his breath as soon as he finished. He asked himself why he’d done that- what if Sebastian insulted him? Normally it wouldn’t matter very much, but Kurt felt vulnerable, having just shared a piece of music that he associated with his mother. It felt sacred, and now he’d taken it out for scrutiny by his arch nemesis.

However, Sebastian didn’t criticize him. “Okay,” he said. “I am mildly impressed. Anyway, we were gonna go get ready for bed and stuff, since you guys are leaving so early tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Kurt agreed, letting out a long breath and following Sebastian out of the room.

Kurt got dressed and ready to get in bed in one of the guest bathrooms. While he was brushing his teeth, Sebastian popped his head into the room.

“Oh, good,” he commented. “You’re not naked. Anyway, we’re gonna sleep in my parents’ room.”

Kurt’s mouth was full of toothpaste, so all he could do was shoot the boy a confused look.

Luckily, Sebastian understood. “They have a flatscreen TV and a king-sized bed,” he explained.

Kurt nodded, suitably convinced.

“That’s where we’ll be,” Sebastian told him. “Yell if you get lost, I know you’re probably not used to being in buildings this big.”

Before Kurt could rinse his mouth and give a retort, Sebastian was gone.

Kurt did manage to find the master bedroom, where Sebastian and Melanie were already in the gigantic bed, flipping through OnDemand options on the TV. Kurt slipped under the covers next to Melanie and offered his input. Eventually they settled on a movie and started playing it. Melanie fell asleep about halfway through, and by the ending credits Kurt could hear soft snoring from the other side of the bed, signaling that he was the only one left awake.

On a comfortable bed, with the dim light of the television illuminating the room, hearing the breathing of the other people in the bed, Kurt felt completely and utterly included, and right. The fact that he was experiencing it here, in Sebastian’s house, scared him a little bit.

…

 

Melanie dropped Kurt off early the next morning on her way to work. Kurt let himself into the quiet house. His father would already be gone, at the tire shop, and Finn and Carole were probably still sleeping. Kurt left his bag in his room and then went down to the kitchen, his socks slipping on the linoleum. He started making tea and toast for his breakfast. While he generally preferred coffee, hot tea on a summer morning just seemed so cozy.

Despite getting up so early Kurt was in a good mood. That morning Melanie had shaken him awake, then gently pushed him out of bed. They’d both gotten ready in the master bathroom, moving quietly and carefully as not to wake up Sebastian. Then they’d tip-toed away from the room, continuing to whisper until they reached the front door. It had had that Christmas morning sort of feel, moving quietly but excitedly. Kurt admired the sunlight on the drive back to Lima and then kissed Melanie’s cheek before leaving the car.

While Kurt ate his breakfast, leaning against the kitchen counter, Carole came into the room, wearing her bathrobe over pajamas. She looked at Kurt curiously. “You’re back early,” she commented in the hushed tones one feels inclined to use in the morning.

“Melanie had to work this morning,” Kurt explained while Carole began making herself coffee.

“And she invited you over the night before?” Carole asked, bemused.

Kurt shrugged. “She doesn’t always think things all the way through. I don’t mind.”

Carole smiled. “So, what’re you up to today?” she asked.

Kurt shrugged, taking a sip of his tea. “Avoiding thinking about how I’m eventually going to have to pack for college, probably.”

Carole laughed softly as she poured her coffee. “Afraid you’ll be homesick?”

“Well, yes,” Kurt agreed. “And I’m horrified at the thought of having to leave some clothing behind.”

Carole hit him lightly on the arm. “You’re a big boy,” she told him. “You’ll survive.”

“Yeah,” Kurt said. “I guess so.”

Carole blew on her coffee to cool it down. “I’m the one who needs to pack. For your father and I.”

Kurt smirked. “Yeah, good luck with that. Dad doesn’t really travel well.”

Carole rolled her eyes. “I guess it’s good we didn’t have a honeymoon then,” she commented. Kurt laughed. “Well,” Carole said, “I’m going to get dressed and head out to work.” She leaned up to press her lips to Kurt’s forehead. “Try and make sure Finn eats something besides Bagel Bites today, okay?”

Kurt snorted, remembering Sebastian’s similarly bad eating habits. “Will do,” he promised her.

Kurt, as predicted, did not think about the inevitability of paring down his wardrobe that day. Instead he took a shower, did yoga in his room, played a bit of MarioKart with Finn(after insisting that he eat at least one thing which had once been a live plant), and in the evening spent a good deal of time mediating between Burt and Carole when they were packing their bags for Cleveland.

“Have you tried rolling the clothes?” Kurt asked Carole as she put things into her suitcase. “It saves space and reduces wrinkles. Plus, you can roll a whole outfit together, so all Dad has to do in the morning is pick up a roll of clothes and put it on.”

“I’m quite capable of dressing myself, thank you,” Burt griped from across the room. Kurt and Carole shared a look before starting to roll the clothing to be packed.

…

 

Late the next morning, Burt and Carole packed up the car and said goodbye to their sons on the front porch. Carole hugged and kissed each of them, and Burt embraced them both, but didn’t leave before giving a spiel.

“Make sure one of you is around the house in case something goes wrong in the shop and you need to go in. And don’t have any girls over. Or boys. No parties. Don’t break anything.”

“Burt!” Carole called from the driver’s seat of the car. “Come on!”

Sighing, Burt added, “Take care of eachother, okay boys?” then turned and walked to the car, getting in the passenger seat. Finn and Kurt waved to their parents as they pulled out of the driveway and disappeared down the street.

“No parties,” Finn muttered, semi-sarcastic. “Well, what am I supposed to do this weekend?”

Kurt laughed. “I’ll be gone Friday night.” As an afterthought, he added, “invite Rachel over,” trying his best not to cringe.

“Where are you going?” Finn asked.

Kurt smiled. “A party.”

“Whose?”

Kurt swallowed. “Some friend of my friend Melanie. I don’t really think I’ll know many people,” he said, trying to dissuade Finn from attempting to tag along.

“Oh, okay,” Finn replied, uninterested. “Cool.”

They turned and went back inside.

The two boys had only been home alone for about four hours when the doorbell rang. Neither of them had expected anyone, so when they met in the entryway- both having come to answer the door from where they’d been in the house- they shared a confused look before Kurt reached for the doorknob and pulled it open.

Melanie stood on their front porch, wearing a navy blue sleeveless sundress, sunglasses resting in her hair, spinning her key ring around her index finger. “Hey!” she exclaimed. “Surprise!”

Kurt blinked. “Um, hi.”

“Can I come in?” she asked.

Kurt stepped back, nearly running into Finn, and Melanie walked in.

“Who’s this?” Finn asked rather tactlessly.

“This is Melanie,” Kurt explained. “Mel, this is my stepbrother Finn.”

“Nice to meet you, Finn,” Melanie said.

“Not that I don’t like seeing you, Melanie,” Kurt spoke up, “but, what are you doing here?”

“I came to extend an invitation to you,” she announced.

“It’s a little crowded in here,” Kurt pointed out, partly because it was true and partly because he was afraid Melanie was going to mention Sebastian, and that Finn would freak out about it.

“Oh, sorry,” Finn mumbled. “I’ll be in the living room.”

He left, and Kurt turned back to Melanie. “An invitation?”

Melanie smiled. “Come to Sebastian’s tonight!”

Kurt blinked. “Why?” he asked.

“Because he invited you.”

“Really?” Kurt was skeptical.

Melanie shrugged. “Well, sort of. Anyway, I was going to go down there early tomorrow to help him prepare for the party and then he asked me to just come over and I was going to take you over tomorrow so, you know, I figured…and I asked him and he said it was okay.”

Kurt sighed. “I don’t know, Mel. Maybe I could just drive myself down to the party tomorrow.”

“Come _on_ ,” she insisted, reaching for Kurt’s hands and clutching them excitedly. “It’ll be fun!”

Kurt rolled his eyes, relenting. “You’re insufferable,” he commented, pulling his hands away. “I’m gonna have to pack a bag. It’ll take a while.”

Melanie beamed. “I’ll wait,” she agreed.

She began to follow him upstairs to his room, but paused when they passed the living room, where Finn was sitting on the couch watching TV.

“Is that Iron Man?” Melanie called out.

Finn looked up, surprised. “Iron Man 2,” he told her. “I’m watching The Avengers after this.”

“Oh my god,” Melanie muttered. “Kurt, you go pack. I’m watching movies with your brother.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, but before Melanie got away he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back momentarily. “Don’t mention Sebastian,” he breathed into her ear, and then released her. She winked back at him to acknowledge the order, and then sat on the couch next to Finn, her eyes fixed on the screen. Shaking his head, Kurt headed to his room.

After showering and packing for not one but two nights, Kurt returned downstairs and watched the last third of The Avengers with Finn and Melanie. After the credits rolled( _and_ they insisted on watching the scene _afterwards_ too), Melanie and Kurt bid Finn goodbye and went out to get into Melanie’s car.

“Your brother’s pretty cool,” Melanie commented as they drove away. Kurt held back a snort. “I mean, he doesn’t seem like the brightest guy but he’s nice.”

“Yeah,” Kurt agreed, as she’d made a fairly accurate assessment. “Yeah, he’s not half-bad for a stepbrother.”

Melanie turned up the radio, and they continued towards Westerville.

 


	19. Chapter 19

By the time they arrived at Sebastian’s house, the sun had set. The chilly nighttime air rushed around them as they approached the front door and let themselves in. They found Sebastian in the kitchen, appraising a row of bottles of alcohol sitting on the counter.

“Is that all you’ve got for tomorrow?” Melanie asked, instead of a greeting.

Sebastian turned around, raising an eyebrow. “Does it seem insufficient to you?”

“How big is the party gonna be?” Melanie challenged.

“Big,” Sebastian replied, smirking.

“Then yeah, it does seem insufficient.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “I’ve got more coming tomorrow, calm down. Anyway, this isn’t all for the party. I’ve gotta break some out tonight. And save some for my hangover.”

“You drink too much,” Melanie commented.

“You smoke too much,” he countered. They didn’t argue any further.

Melanie took Kurt’s bag off his shoulder, and then held it up along with her own purse. “I’m gonna go put these upstairs,” she said.

“Don’t bother coming back down,” Sebastian told her. “Go on and pack yourself a bowl. We’re gonna have some fun in the attic.”

Melanie chuckled, taking the bags and leaving the room. Kurt crossed his arms.

“So, Hummel,” Sebastian said leisurely, picking up a bottle of gin and holding it up to the light. “Pick your poison.”

“No thanks,” Kurt replied.

“Aw, come on,” Sebastian coaxed. “Have a little fun.”

“I’d rather not be hungover tomorrow,” Kurt said. In all honesty, he just didn’t feel like being drunk.

Sebastian shrugged. “More for me, I guess.” Kurt watched as Sebastian finally picked up a bottle of amberish rum, screwed off the lid and took a swig from it. He sighed contentedly, and then grinned at Kurt. “Suit yourself,” he added as he opened a cabinet and took out a glass. He splashed the rum into it and then, carrying both the glass and the bottle, headed for the door. “Come on,” he called playfully back to Kurt. Rolling his eyes at the patronization, Kurt followed him out. Without speaking they headed through the mostly dark house up the stairs, past Sebastian’s bedroom and his parents’, and to a staircase behind a door which Kurt would have assumed was a closet. It was narrow, and Sebastian stumbled once as he made his way up, then laughed loudly. They emerged into the attic.

Kurt couldn’t remember ever being in an attic, but he’d never heard of one so nice. The floor was carpeted thickly, the small window that gave a glimpse to the appearing stars outside was framed by lace curtains, and there was a small table surrounded by chairs, a day bed, and several bookshelves in the room. The attic was lit by a ceiling lamp that spread warm yellow light throughout the area. Melanie was already in the room, sitting cross-legged on the white carpet, holding her lighter and pipe.

“Hello, boys,” she said.

…

 

Sebastian took a gulp from his glass, grinning. “Never have I ever…” he muttered, thinking. His face lit up as he thought of something. “Been arrested.”

He looked pointedly at Melanie, who blew smoke in his direction indignantly. “I have not been arrested, shut up.”

Kurt laughed at their intoxicated antics. Melanie’s turn was next. She carefully set her pipe down onto the floor and considered, holding her fingers out in front of her. “Never have I ever…kissed a girl.”

Sebastian laughed. “You’ve gotta remember your audience, Mel,” he told her. Kurt almost hoped that this comment would keep them from noticing…

But he wasn’t so lucky. “Kurt!” Melanie exclaimed. “Did you just put down a finger?!”

Kurt felt himself blushing as they both turned to him. “Yeah,” he admitted.

Sebastian howled with laughter. Melanie stared at Kurt questioningly. “You have to tell,” she insisted.

“Oh, shut up,” he told them. “Melanie, you went to an all-girl’s school and _didn’t_ kiss a girl. You should be ashamed.”

Melanie rolled her reddish eyes dismissively. “Come on, who was it? Was she hot?”

Kurt sighed. “She was attractive. She’s a cheerleader. I was going through a phase.”

After a few moments, Sebastian managed to compose himself. “That is the best thing I’ve heard all week,” he announced.

It was Kurt’s turn then, and he sighed, trying to think of something he’d never done. He was sure he’d come up with something during the last round, but had of course forgotten it by now. The strange thing about being surrounded by drunk and high people was that it caused him to act decidedly less sober. Finally, he thought of something that would likely eradicate one of Sebastian’s few remaining fingers. “Never have I ever had sex somewhere other than a bed.”

“What counts as sex?” Sebastian asked.

Kurt thought for a moment. “Penetrative sex,” he clarified.

Both Melanie and Sebastian put down a finger. Kurt turned to Melanie, eyebrow raised, awaiting a story.

“It was actually just my first time,” she explained. “We were on the floor.”

“Really?” Kurt asked, puzzled.

“Yeah,” Melanie answered, shrugging. “There was more room. He had a pretty small bed.”

“Ahh,” Kurt said. “Blaine had a nice bed,” he reminisced.

“Ugh,” Sebastian gagged, making a face. “Please, spare me the mental images.”

Kurt nudged Sebastian playfully, boldened by the cozy light and the smell of smoke and the adolescent party game. “What about you, Smythe? Have you ever had sex _on_ a bed?”

Sebastian pushed him back, but not too forcefully. “Yeah,” he insisted. “In fact, I can one-up Mel. My first time was on a bed.”

“Ooh, the mysterious first time story?” Melanie asked with wonder as she picked up her pipe.

“Mysterious?” Kurt asked, curious.

Melanie nodded, then took a hit before replying. “Yeah, he’s never even told me. One day it was just, ‘by the way, I haven’t been a virgin for the past seven months.’ Thanks for letting me know, Seb.” She rolled her eyes.

Kurt and Melanie turned to Sebastian, expectant. He picked up his glass and swallowed the rest of it down, setting it back on the carpet haphazardly. “Fine,” he relented. “It was at a party. I didn’t know many people. This guy was hitting on me. He was somewhat drunk, but I hadn’t had anything.” Sebastian paused to reach behind him for the bottle and take a sip from it. He flinched slightly and then went on. “So I thought, what the hell? I know what this guy wants. I want it. Who gives a fuck who he is? It’s gonna happen soon enough anyway. So we went into one of the bedrooms.” Sebastian’s voice had taken on a sort of flat tone, and interested in the story though Kurt was, he couldn’t help feeling a little confused, maybe even concerned. “And we fucked,” Sebastian continued. “He didn’t even know I’d never done it before. He was drunk. I knew the basics. It wasn’t difficult or anything. Never saw the guy again.” Sebastian stared at the bottle of rum. He mumbled something so softly that Kurt couldn’t be completely sure that he’d heard it correctly. But if he had, Sebastian had said, “Only time I’ve ever bottomed.”

After he finished his story, the three of them sat there without talking for a while. Kurt wondered what was going on in the minds of the other two. Eventually Melanie unfolded her legs and stood up. “I’m tired,” she said, and they all got up to go to bed, their game of Ten Fingers completely forgotten.

…

 

When Kurt woke up the next morning, he was alone.

When they’d headed for Sebastian’s room the previous night, he’d asked, “Can I sleep in a guest room? I’d rather not be on the floor.”

Sebastian had gestured aimlessly. “Knock yourself out.”

So Kurt retrieved his bag and found a guest room to sleep in. About five minutes later, the door had creaked open and Melanie slipped inside.

“I think he wanted to be alone,” she explained, shrugging. “Sometimes he needs his space. Can I sleep with you?”

Kurt, of course, had said yes. Together they turned out the lights and got under the covers. Before falling asleep, Kurt felt Melanie’s hand rest on his forearm. He somehow knew that she was trying to comfort, even though he wasn’t the one that needed comforting; that she was trying to right a wrong that hadn’t happened to either of them, that was still happening to the boy down the hall.

In the morning, however, Kurt was pulled from slumber to find the other side of the bed empty. He knew Melanie could be an early riser. He took his time getting out of bed- lying there for a while, staring at the white ceiling, then finally sitting up and pushing himself off the bed, going to change into his clothes, combing his hair. He appraised his reflection in the dresser-top mirror as light from the curtained window behind him filtered through the air. He wasn’t party-ready, perhaps, but he was certainly decent enough to be seen by other people. Before leaving the room he checked his phone to see that it was eight thirty.

Melanie was in the kitchen, drinking from a mug of coffee and smoking a cigarette. Kurt raised his eyebrow as he walked in.

“Won’t that set off the alarm?”

Melanie smiled. “I disabled it.”

Kurt laughed, and then headed for the coffee maker to get himself a cup. After Melanie showed him where the mugs were and they were both leaning against the counter, drinking, Melanie commented, “Coffee always tastes better with smoke.” She shrugged. “I don’t know why, it just does.” She sighed, tapping her cigarette onto a tiny dessert plate she was using as a makeshift ashtray. She turned to Kurt. “You shouldn’t ever smoke,” she told him. “I know I’m a damned hypocrite for saying it, but it’s true. And you’ve got such a great voice, too. Someday mine is going to get all scratchy and gross.”

Kurt turned his head to the side, studying her. “So why do you do it?” he asked, even though they’d breached the subject before.

Melanie sighed, taking another drag before answering. “I don’t know. I like it. I feel like everyone should have at least one thing they like that they’re allowed to do, even if it’s terrible for them.”

Kurt didn’t reply, thinking, but Mel went on. “Christ, at least smoking kills you slowly. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been lying in bed at night, hoping and praying that Seb doesn’t end up in a car accident, or with alcohol poisoning. Dead because of some stupid drinking game. Killed because the guy he was hooking up with thought he wasn’t too wasted to drive. It kills me.”

“You do drugs,” Kurt pointed out. “That can get dangerous.”

Melanie tilted her head in acknowledgment. “That’s true. I’m usually pretty careful, though. Know my dealer, smoke my own stuff. I’ve never done anything besides pot, anyway. It gets too sketchy.”

Kurt nodded, sipping his coffee thoughtfully. “What’s it like, being high?” he asked, suddenly. It was the kind of thing he’d wondered before, especially since he’d experienced being drunk, but he’d always felt too stupid asking.

Melanie pursed her lips. “It’s kind of like…floating. I mean, not really. Your head feels sort of full, in a good way. You lose the filter you normally have, you know. You just start to say your thoughts out loud sometimes, without deciding to say them. And also…you notice things. You’re more observant. You stare at a lamp and you realize the details in the shade and how the light shines and all the tiny, beautiful intricacies there are about something you’d usually never glance twice at. And you get all caught up in the moment, too. Can’t remember totally what you’ve just been doing, or what you’re going to do next. It’s so…simple. You can’t focus on your problems or anything because in the moment they don’t exist. All that exists are the little things around you that are suddenly so gorgeous, that you could look at them for hours.”

She brought her cigarette to her lips after she finished speaking, and Kurt stared at her. “That was the most eloquent description of drug use I’ve ever heard,” Kurt told her, half-laughing, half-awed. “It’s really like that?”

“Yeah,” Melanie answered, tapping ashes onto the plate. “That’s why people do it, you know.”

They finished their coffee in comfortable silence, against the counter in the empty house.

By the time Sebastian made his way into the kitchen, wearing pajama pants and his thick glasses and nothing else, reaching immediately for the coffeemaker, Kurt and Melanie were sitting at the table, watching videos on Kurt’s phone. They looked up when he entered.

Sebastian sighed as he gulped down his coffee, and then removed his glasses for a moment so that he could press his middle finger to his temple. “Okay,” he said, sounding more resigned than excited. “Let’s throw a fucking party.”

 


	20. Chapter 20

So far as parties went, this one was a pretty big success.

There were, indeed, a lot of people. Sebastian had a huge house, but it still seemed as though Kurt couldn’t turn his head without seeing people crowded together. Kurt moved around the different rooms, bouncing from person to person, listening to conversations, introducing himself, laughing at a joke, and then moving on. He normally didn’t really enjoy being in places where he didn’t know anyone, but tonight he was taking advantage of his anonymity by assuming the role of an outgoing, carefree partygoer. Of course, it wasn’t as though he didn’t know _anyone_ \- many of the Warblers were there, and he did spend a fair amount of time with them. He loved their wacky insanity, the playful way they effortlessly included him. Kurt danced with Jeff and Trent for a fair amount of time, taking a break once to get a drink mixed by the girl in the kitchen who was acting as self-proclaimed bartender.

He did tire of dancing, though, and left his friends to lean against the wall with some of the other, more laid-back Warblers, who were chatting and observing the party around them in the way that only confident prep school boys can accomplish.

Kurt was standing next to Nick, half-listening to the conversation around them as he drank a lemonade- a clean drink, as he was pleasantly buzzed and didn’t want to tip into truly drunk territory- when the dark-haired boy turned to him and said, “So, I didn’t expect you to be here.”

Kurt blinked at him, slightly confused. “Why do you say that?”

Nick shrugged, swirling his drink around. “I just didn’t think you would want to be around Sebastian. I thought you two sort of hated eachother.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow. “How do you think I heard about the last party I saw you at?” he asked.

Nick shrugged. “Through the grapevine. Or, maybe from Blaine. I know you guys broke up, but I didn’t know whether you were still talking. Anyway, Kevin was kind of neutral territory. You didn’t know him, he’d never done anything to you. But Sebastian is sort of a different story, right?”

Kurt shrugged. “I guess. But things have changed.”

“So are you and he, like, friends now?”

Kurt bit his lip. “No,” he said, his tone unsure. “I mean, it’s more complicated than that, I guess. We don’t hate eachother like we used to. We…tolerate eachother now. We have to be around eachother more often, because we’re both friends with Melanie Brooks, so we’ve learned to get along.”

Nick nodded, taking a sip from his drink. “Got it,” he answered simply.

They rejoined the conversation flowing between the other Warblers then, including some that had returned from dancing. Kurt wandered off after a while though, the faint fog of intoxication causing him to want to move, to mingle. He met and talked for a while with some Westerville Central High students who were complaining drunkenly about their drama teacher, then drifted off to a crowd of girls from OSU who taught Kurt how to play beer pong. In the spirit of the game he took a few gulps of cheap beer, deepening his drunken state. He left them, laughing and waving, when he had to pee.

He didn’t know if there were any bathrooms downstairs, and if there were he didn’t know how to find them, so he made his way to the stairs and climbed up, moving around people who were talking or sitting or kissing. Kurt wondered idly where Melanie was. Kurt found himself in the upstairs hallway, and was trying to remember which of the many doors opened into a bathroom. There were just so _many_ , because Sebastian’s house was so goddamned _big_ …

Kurt made his way down the hall, trying to visualize the rooms on the other sides of all those doors. Finally he picked one to push open, hoping for the best.

He’d made the wrong choice, though. He saw that he’d opened the door to Sebastian’s room, which was clear since the light was on. That was probably because the room was occupied- Sebastian had his back pressed up against the wall to Kurt’s left, a boy with tousled hair in front of him, arms out and palms against the wall, trapping Sebastian between them. From Kurt’s angle their faces looked extremely close, if not outright touching.

“Oh,” Kurt muttered stupidly. “Oops.”

Sebastian’s head popped out from behind the other boy’s. “Kurt? What the-“

“Sorry!” Kurt exclaimed. The other boy had now turned and was looking at Kurt, irritated. “Sorry! My bad, I was just…I mean, sorry. Bye.”

Kurt backed out of the room and shut the door quickly. He let out a sigh, embarrassed but also thankful that he hadn’t burst into the room when Sebastian and that boy were further along in their hook-up. At least they’d both been wearing all of their clothes.

Kurt, now that he had his bearings, knew that the door across the hall led to a guest bathroom, so he went in and locked the door so he could relieve himself. He spent a few minutes examining his reflection, too, making sure that he still looked fantastic.

He came out of the bathroom and then headed back downstairs, set on discovering where Melanie had gotten to and spending some time with her. He wandered through the kitchen and the living room, and was aimlessly heading into the entry room when he heard his name.

Sebastian was moving through the crowd towards him, looking relieved. “There you are,” he said, seemingly out of breath, when he reached Kurt.

“What?” Kurt asked, exceedingly confused. Hadn’t he just seen Sebastian upstairs making out with a guy? Why was he here?

“Um, I just…” Sebastian ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, suddenly seeming nervous. “Can I talk to you?”

Kurt nodded, confused. Sebastian headed back through the groups of people drinking and talking, and Kurt trailed behind. Sebastian ended up leading him to the room with the piano where Kurt had played earlier that week. The room was empty when they reached it, and Sebastian left the door half-open once they were inside, so people walking through the hallway were still visible. “Um,” Sebastian began, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know you probably saw me, up in my room, with that guy.”

Kurt nodded in assent. Sebastian went on, seemingly more and more uncomfortable. “ I just wanted to let you know that it wasn’t what it probably looked like, I mean, we were just talking and stuff, and then he started coming on to me, and then you walked in and-“

“Sebastian,” Kurt interrupted incredulously. Maybe he was too tipsy, and maybe he was reading into the situation wrong, but…was Sebastian trying to explain his actions? Trying to make it seem like he wasn’t hooking up with that boy? As though…he cared what Kurt thought of him? Kurt cleared his throat and continued. “I don’t…care what you were doing. It’s your party. And your bedroom.”

“I know, I know,” Sebastian said defensively. “I just didn’t want you to jump to any conclusions, okay?”

Kurt wondered whether this had something to do with Sebastian’s virginity story that he’d revealed the previous night. “Whatever,” Kurt told him. “Yeah, okay. No conclusions.”

Sebastian nodded resolutely. “Good.” He said. Kurt thought he was finished, but then he spoke up again. “It’s just that…I mean, I can do what I want and everything, I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea. Especially after…yeah. I mean, not that it matters. But still.” Sebastian sighed. “Fucking Christ. All I want to say is that, like, when you first started hanging out with Mel I was really annoyed, because I thought that you were gonna be a total fucking pain in the ass, and it was going to mess up what Mel and I had going. But then it turned out that, you know, you’re not even that bad. I mean, you’re okay. A lot better than I had thought you were, especially while I was harassing you last year and all. So, you know, thanks for being cool and everything. And since I want to be, you know, not a dick to you anymore, and we hang around kind of a lot, I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me, or what I do. So…yeah.”

Kurt blinked up at Sebastian. He was thoroughly speechless. He wondered if he was dreaming. Because if he wasn’t…Sebastian had just kind of complimented him. He’d admitted that he sort of liked Kurt as a person. And if that wasn’t the most surreal thing that had happened in all of history, then Kurt would throw away every hair product he owned.

“Okay,” Kurt finally managed to reply. “Sure. I got it.”

“Good,” Sebastian answered. They stood there for a moment, sort of awkwardly. Then Sebastian said, “Well, I’m gonna go,” and left the room. Kurt continued to stand there, utterly perplexed, for a few minutes longer.

Eventually Kurt left the piano room and reentered the party, looking for Melanie. He was stopped when, once again, he heard someone say his name.

It wasn’t Seb this time, though. It was Nick, who was sitting on a side table and half-smiling. Kurt approached him, an eyebrow raised in question.

“So, you told me you and Sebastian weren’t friends,” Nick commented.

“Um, yeah,” Kurt replied. “Why?”

Nick shrugged, but grinned. “The way he was talking to you a few minutes ago…it seemed like he does a lot more than tolerate you, that’s all.”

Nick stood and left, leaving Kurt to think, stunned. Kurt wished for a moment that Sebastian had fully closed the door when they’d gotten away to talk- and then he asked himself why he cared that people saw them. He didn’t really have an answer for himself.

…

 

By 3:30 Kurt was partied out, and many of his Warbler friends had left anyway, so he set himself up in a guest room and locked the door so no one could bother him. After lying in bed for about half an hour, though, he heard a clicking noise from the door and it was pushed open slowly, revealing Melanie.

“How did you get in?” he asked, sitting up.

“Oh, good, it’s you,” she said, stepping in and closing and locking the door. “I picked it,” she told him, holding up a bobby pin.

Kurt huffed and fell back onto the pillows. Melanie crawled under the covers, still in her clothes, and cuddled up next to Kurt. She smelled of pot and something else, some strangely fruity scent. He put his arm around her and they lay together in the darkness, listening to the sound of their breath and the music playing downstairs.

“Hey, Mel?” Kurt said hesitantly.

“Hmm?”

“Do you think people change?”

Melanie turned her head so she looked up at the ceiling, but was still tucked under Kurt’s chin. “Of course,” she answered, then yawned. “People change all the time.”

“You think so?”

Melanie nodded, her hair tickling Kurt’s neck. “Yeah, for sure. I mean, everything that happens to you changes you a little bit, right? Every person you meet and every experience you have makes you different. Like, there are parts of you that make you inherently, you know, you. Your personality and stuff. But everything else is subject to change. We’re humans, but we’re still animals. We adapt. We evolve.”

Kurt sighed. “That was very philosophical.”

“What can I say?” Kurt felt her shrug. “I’m a genius.”

Kurt smiled gently. He ran his fingers up and down her back in a slow rhythm, and it wasn’t long until she was soothed to sleep. Kurt lay there awake for a while longer. He thought humorlessly that he felt like a character in a movie who kept hearing other people’s voices repeated in his head. “People change,” and “a lot more than tolerate you,” and “it wasn’t what it probably looked like.”

It was a long time before Kurt was able to fall asleep.


	21. Chapter 21

When Kurt woke up it took him a few seconds to realize that he couldn’t feel his left arm. Melanie’s sleeping weight was on it and probably had been all night. Under some circumstances he may have tried to gently slip his arm out from under her and leave her in peace. This morning, though, he wasn’t in the mood, so instead he shook her roughly with his right hand and startled her awake.

She rolled off his arm in an attempt to get away from his assault, so he sat up and began to massage the tingling limb. She glared at him, her eyes puffy and narrowed, from the other side of the bed. “You’re a terrible person,” she groaned.

Kurt grinned. “I was in danger of needing amputation.”

Melanie scoffed and pulled the blanket over her face. Kurt rolled his eyes, then got off the bed and stretched. He’d regained most of the feeling in his arm. He glanced at the clock on the bedside table to see that it was nearly noon.

“See you later, Sleeping Beauty,” Kurt called behind him as he left the room, determined to get something hot and/or caffeinated in his body ASAP.

He headed downstairs, avoiding tripping on the cups, bottles and assorted clothing that littered the ground. He found his way to the kitchen and pushed the door open. Sebastian was there, looking surprisingly put-together. He was wearing jean cut-offs and a white T-shirt, and his hair was clearly combed. The only off thing about him was those glasses that had so surprised Kurt at first. Kurt felt suddenly self-conscious- he hadn’t even looked in a mirror before he came downstairs, and he probably looked dreadful.

Sebastian glanced up from where he was arranging cups in a cabinet. “Oh, hey,” he greeted Kurt.

“Hi,” Kurt replied, rubbing his eye. “What’s up?”

Sebastian shrugged, closing the cabinet and turning to face Kurt. “Just doing a bit of preliminary clean up before I call a service. I kicked everyone who crashed here out about an hour ago. Thought about throwing you out, too, but I didn’t think you’d be able to get out from under Melanie.”

Kurt snorted. It didn’t immediately occur to him that Sebastian’s statement meant that he’d come into the guest room and seen Kurt sleeping, which was a bit strange. As Sebastian turned around and continued to unload the dishwasher Kurt wrinkled his eyebrows, lingering on the bizarre thought of Sebastian watching him sleep.

“Is there coffee?” Kurt asked.

“Yeah,” Sebastian replied. “In the machine. Just don’t drink from the mug that’s there. It’s mine and there’s Kahlua in it.”

Kurt laughed as he got himself a mug and poured coffee into it. “Already drinking? How long have you been up?”

“Approximately twenty-six hours,” Sebastian answered as he put away several large bowls. “I didn’t sleep last night.”

Kurt turned from where he was getting milk from the fridge and stared, mouth slightly open, at the other boy. “Why didn’t you sleep?”

Sebastian shrugged, straightening and reaching for his mug, taking as sip of it. “I had things to do. Crises to avert. Liquor replacement to arrange. My parents’ booze cabinet was nearly cleaned out last night.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow. “Do your parents not _know_ you take their liquor?”

Sebastian laughed. “No, they know. But taking it and not replacing it before they get home would just be rude, wouldn’t it?”

Kurt rolled his eyes and went to sit down at the table. “Speaking of rude,” he said, “thanks for that run-in with Rachel last week.”

Sebastian grinned impishly. “Ah, yes. Please, do tell how she reacted.”

“As histrionically as one would expect her species of drama queen to,” Kurt told him.

Sebastian positively beamed. “Did she accuse you of ‘fraternizing with the enemy’?”

“No,” Kurt said. “Not in so many words.”

Sebastian smiled to himself as he began putting silverware in a large drawer. “Fantastic,” he muttered. “Christ, she annoys the shit out of me.”

Kurt shook his head slightly. “You two have more in common than you’d think,” he pointed out, ignoring Sebastian’s disgusted scoff. “You both have a flair for the dramatic and conniving. She once sent a new girl to a crack house so that she could remain the best singer in New Directions. God forbid you two ever teamed up for something, you’d be unstoppable.” Kurt shuddered.

Sebastian, too, looked unsettled. “Don’t worry, it’s never gonna happen.”

Kurt shrugged, leaning back in his chair. “Well you might be seeing eachother around next year, since we’ll all be in the city.”

“Don’t remind me,” Sebastian replied.

Kurt tapped his fingers lightly on his mug, considering. Then he went for it. “Why NYU, anyway? I didn’t know New York was your kind of place.”

Sebastian smirked. “First of all, if there’s a good club scene, it is ‘my kind of place.’ And I picked NYU for a lot of reasons.”

“Such as?” Kurt prompted.

Sebastian sighed. “I briefly considered USC, but my parents have something against California. They think everyone there is lazy, or something. New York got my parents seal of approval. It’s where Wall Street is. There’s culture and news and opportunity. I’m bound to do well there.” Sebastian’s voice had taken on a slightly mocking tone. He cleared his throat. “Anyway, New York is also far away from my parents and further away from my sister.”

Kurt stared at Sebastian’s profile, studying him. “Do you not like your sister?” he asked.

Sebastian sighed, setting down a handful of spoons and turning to face Kurt. “You’re an only child, right?”

Kurt was a little surprised at the assumption. “I have a stepbrother, actually.”

“For how long?”

Kurt’s eyebrows furrowed. “Um, our parents got married our sophomore year.”

“Oh, right,” Sebastian said, as though realizing something. “Frankenstein’s monster in your glee club.”

“Uh, actually his name is Finn-“

“Whatever,” Sebastian dismissed him. “He doesn’t count. You don’t understand. For my entire life, I have grown up with my older sister who has been better at basically everything. You can’t have two kids and not compare them. In comparison, I always fell flat. So even though I love my sister, I don’t want to be anywhere near her, because I’m fed up with having her highlight my incompetence.”

The two boys stayed still for a moment, Sebastian’s words hanging in the air. Then Sebastian turned away and resumed organizing utensils. He seemed slightly abashed. He’d given away more than he’d meant to.

Melanie entered the kitchen a few minutes later. Her hair was a mess, and Kurt again felt self-conscious, wondering how he looked. Melanie poured herself some coffee and leaned against the counter next to Sebastian. “Morning,” she muttered.

“Hey,” he replied, closing the dishwasher and crossing his arms. “By the way, one of your stoner friends got shisha on the carpet in the book room last night. That’s gonna be a bitch to get out. Who even _brought_ a hookah?”

Melanie made some response, but Kurt tuned out their conversation. Instead he stared out through the blinds of the window over the table, onto the manicured lawn outside. It was a beautiful summer day. As Kurt finished his coffee, he thought about what he was going to do that day. Thought maybe he should check his phone. His dad might have called.

Kurt heard his name and turned his attention back to his friends in the kitchen.

“…and Kurt should go, the cleaning service is gonna show up soon. You’re just gonna be in the way.”

“You really know how to make a girl feel welcome, Seb.”

“Good thing I don’t like girls, then.”

Melanie rolled her eyes. “Come on, Kurt,” she said. “We’re being booted out. Let’s get our stuff.”

Sebastian watched them through the lenses of his glasses as they set down their mugs and left the room.

…

 

Kurt let himself into the house, but he didn’t make it to the stairs before he was blocked by Finn.

“Hey,” he said tiredly. “I’m just gonna go up and-“

“Where have you been?” Finn interrupted.

Kurt blinked up at his step-brother, utterly confused. “At a party, remember? With Melanie? Who you met the other day?”

Finn had his arms crossed and was standing directly in front of the stairs, not allowing any room for Kurt to pass. “Yes, but you didn’t tell me that the party was at Sebastian Smythe’s house.”

Kurt felt his shoulders sag. “Oh my fucking god.”

“Rachel told me,” Finn said. Kurt bit back a stream of obscenities. “So what exactly were you doing there?”

“We are not having this conversation,” Kurt announced, and then stepped forward, Finn be damned, pushing past to the stairwell.

“Yes, we are!” Finn insisted loudly, and then he made the mistake of reaching out and grabbing Kurt’s arm to keep him from leaving.

Kurt froze, every muscle in his body seizing up. Waiting for impact. The kind of defensive reaction that one can’t control. Finn pulled his hand back as though it had been burned, but it was too late. The damage was done.

“Don’t. Touch. Me.” Kurt spit out, then rushed up the stairs. Finn was left to stand there at the bottom, mentally chastising himself. After all, it really hadn’t been that long since Finn was the one touching Kurt with malevolent intentions.

Kurt was sitting on his bed with his door locked, running his hands through his hair. He was calm now- the harsh grip and angry words had put him into danger mode, but he knew there was no real threat from Finn. That didn’t, however, get his mind of the fact that Rachel Berry and her big fat mouth had now made his life considerably more difficult.

Kurt heard Finn come upstairs and knock on his door. “Kurt, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to-“

“I know,” Kurt cut in.

It was tensely quiet for a moment. “Can I, uh, come in?” Finn asked hesitantly.

Kurt got up and unlocked his door, opening it to reveal Finn. They stood there, Finn looking terribly apologetic. “I just…I just wanted to know why you were hanging out with Sebastian Smythe.”

Kurt sighed, sagging against the doorframe. “Because I’m an adult, Finn, and I think I’m capable of making my own choices about who I spend my time with.”

“He blackmailed me!” Finn exclaimed.

“Technically he blackmailed Rachel,” Kurt replied. “Just, by using you.”

“Whatever,” Finn said, his eyebrows pushed together in clueless, frustrated confusion. “But he’s still a terrible person.”

Kurt bit his lip before answering. “Finn…you might have once been considered a terrible person, too.” Finn looked down, out of embarrassment or guilt, as they both thought back to dumpster tosses and cruel words. “But,” Kurt went on, “there’s more to you than that. And…people are capable of changing. You’ve changed. You’d never do that kind of thing now. So…don’t judge someone that you don’t know, when you don’t know their circumstances or their full story or how they may have changed since you knew them.”

Finn looked at Kurt shrewdly. “You sure seem to think you know a lot about him.”

Kurt sighed. “I know more than I used to, anyway.”

Finn nodded slowly. “Okay. Well…I guess you’re right. I mean, you can make your own choices.”

“Thank you,” Kurt said. “Now, I need to shower. I’ll talk to you later.”

Finn agreed, and Kurt closed his door. He leaned back against it for a moment, closing his eyes. Why did things have to be so confusing?


	22. Chapter 22

The next afternoon Kurt got a text from an unknown number.

_It’s Sebastian. Do you use some sort of hair product called it’s a 10?_

Kurt’s eyebrows scrunched together. After a moment, he replied.

_No, that stuff is like $30 a tub._

Extremely confused, Kurt continued watching Ace of Cakes. He got another text within a few minutes.

_Someone left a nearly-full container of it at my house after the party. Do you want it?_

Kurt stared at his phone, calculating. He’d seen It’s A Ten in salons and he _knew_ it would do wonders for his hair. He was being offered nearly a whole eight ounces for free. He knew that it probably looked terribly cheap of him in Sebastian’s eyes, but he couldn’t resist.

_Yeah, sure, I’ll take it._

Kurt tapped his fingers on his phone while he watched TV, waiting until it vibrated.

_Should I drop by your house with it?_

Kurt glanced around, totally ridiculously. Finn was upstairs in his room. Still…after their argument the previous day, or whatever, Kurt didn’t really want Sebastian showing up at the house. Beyond that, he’d have to tell Sebastian where he lived, and he wasn’t sure if he was quite ready for that. He thought for a moment. His dad and Carole weren’t supposed to be home until five-ish…

_Actually, I’m gonna be at my dad’s shop, can you bring it there?_

After a moment, Sebastian answered.

_Yeah, I’ll drop by in a couple hours._

Kurt pocketed his phone, turned off the TV, and headed upstairs. He changed into clothes suitable for work and then knocked on Finn’s door.

“Yeah?” Finn answered. Kurt opened the door and poked his head in.

“I’m going to go to the tire shop for a while,” he told Finn, who was sprawled on the floor with his computer.

“Is something wrong?” Finn asked.

“No, I’m just gonna make sure they don’t need any help or anything.”

Finn shrugged and waved Kurt off. Kurt left the house, sighing slightly, but figuring that the expensive hair product would be worth a couple hours of busy work.

…

 

“Hey, Kurt?”

Kurt looked up from the invoices he was studying in his dad’s office. While the employees at Hummel Tires were great mechanics and pretty nice people, few of them were administration-minded, so there ended up being quite a lot of paperwork for Kurt to do when he’d arrived.

“Yeah?” Kurt answered Dean, the worker who was standing in the doorway.

“There’s someone here asking for you. Kid with a real nice car.”

Kurt smirked, setting down the papers and standing up. “Thanks,” he told Dean. “I’ll go see him.”

Sebastian was waiting in the mouth of the garage. He was wearing jean cut-offs, perhaps the same ones as the morning before, with a short-sleeved button-up shirt that fluttered in the slight breeze from outside.

“Hey,” Kurt called out, getting Sebastian’s attention. Sebastian nodded coolly in response, waiting as Kurt approached him.

“Here’s the stuff,” he said, holding out a small purple tub. “The cleaning service gave it to me when they found it so I just figured…”

“Yeah,” Kurt agreed, sparing him the ending of the sentence. He took the hair product and slipped it into the pocket of his overalls. “Thanks for bringing it. Did you come all the way out here-“

“Oh, no,” Sebastian interrupted. “I had to come anyway.” He didn’t offer an explanation, but Kurt nodded anyway.

“Okay,” Kurt said. “Well, I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah,” Sebastian answered. Kurt started to turn and head back for the office when Sebastian called out. “Hey, wait up.”

Kurt turned back, his eyebrow raised. “What?”

Sebastian slipped his hands into his pockets, and Kurt noticed idly how the sunlight made his arms look especially tan. “I was just wondering…I wanted to go clubbing tonight, but Mel’s working so she can’t come with me. And, you know, clubbing alone can be fine, but maybe…do you wanna go?”

Kurt was speechless for a moment before something occurred to him. “Sebastian, do you just need someone to drive your drunk ass home?”

Kurt swore he saw a fleeting expression of surprise on Sebastian’s face before it morphed into a sly grin. “Caught me, Hummel. Anyway, you up for it?”

Kurt sighed. “Can’t you pay someone to be your chauffeur?”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Look, we can make this mutually beneficial. You drive so that I can drink, and I’ll find someone for you to hook up with.”

Kurt snorted. “No deal.”

Sebastian looked at Kurt as though he were studying him. Kurt felt his cheeks start to heat up. He didn’t like being scrutinized. “Do you think you’re a good flirt?” Sebastian asked finally.

Kurt was thrown off by the question. “Uh, yeah,” he answered.

“Really?” Sebastian questioned him.

“Yes,” Kurt replied with more confidence.

Sebastian shrugged. “Okay,” he assented. “Just look at the facts, Kurt. In a matter of weeks, you’ll be going off to college, in New York City, as a young and single gay boy. I’m not saying that you’re incapable of interacting with guys- only one of us has had a long-term relationship, and it sure as hell wasn’t me. But it still might be…prudent of you to be more versed in the art of picking up guys. Come out with me tonight, I’ll give you some pointers.”

Now it was Kurt’s turn to study Sebastian. He wasn’t sure whether he’d just been complimented or criticized. He suspected the latter. Either way, though, Sebastian was being surprisingly nice to him, and he’d just given him some really nice salon product. Maybe that had been meant as a bribe, but it was kind of working. And the boy had a point- how was Kurt supposed to be around cute, gay New York boys when all he was really good at doing was pining from afar? He didn’t want his college years to be like his high school ones had been. And as much as Sebastian may annoy him, he was the expert on talking to guys. It wouldn’t hurt to get a couple of tips, right?

Kurt sighed. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

Sebastian grinned widely, triumphantly. “Pick me up at ten?”

Kurt tried to ignore how much it sounded like he’d just set up a date with Sebastian Smythe, “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

Sebastian smugly nodded, then turned and exited the garage. Kurt pulled the tub of It’s A Ten and examined it appreciatively.

…

 

Luckily, Sebastian’s house wasn’t difficult to find, and Kurt remembered how to get there. He’d told his father he was going to Mercedes’ house, after texting her and ascertaining that she’d cover for him if necessary. Despite being an adult and whatnot, he still felt the need to hide the entire situation from his family. Mercedes hadn’t asked for any details about where he was going, praise her.

Kurt got out of his car and headed for the front door, slightly apprehensive. He rang the doorbell, and Sebastian pulled the door open within seconds.

“There you are! Okay, let’s go.”

Sebastian pulled the door closed and quickly pushed past Kurt, heading for the car. Semi-confused, Kurt followed, climbing into the driver’s seat.

“Head for Columbus,” Sebastian instructed while Kurt started the car. “I’ll give you directions from there.”

Wordlessly, Kurt turned around and drove out of Sebastian’s driveway. Sebastian leaned forward and messed with the radio controls, turning off the mix CD Kurt had been listening to and finding an alternative station. Kurt considered arguing that it was his car, so he got to pick the music, but he didn’t feel like bickering.

“So, are your parents home yet?” Kurt asked, trying to make conversation.

“Nope,” Sebastian replied, lounging back in his seat. “Their flight gets in tomorrow night.”

Kurt nodded. “It must be nice, having that big house all to yourself.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at Kurt. “Yeah,” he agreed. “It is.”

Kurt tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as they drove down the highway. Something occurred to him that he hadn’t told Sebastian before agreeing to this. “I don’t have a fake ID,” he said.

Sebastian sat up. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah.”

Sebastian wiped his hand over his face, frustrated. “You’re killing me here, Hummel. What happened to the one I got for you?”

Kurt coughed slightly. “I got rid of it.”

Sebastian sighed. “Fine. Jesus. We’ll have to work around this.”

After that it was quiet in the car, except for the radio. It wasn’t uncomfortable, per se, but there was still a strange sort of atmosphere in the car. Finally, they reached Columbus. Sebastian gave Kurt directions, and eventually they were paying for parking and walking down the street to a nightclub. Kurt barely glanced at the neon-lighted name( _Paradise_ ) before Sebastian was tugging him towards the entrance. “They don’t exactly advertise it, but this place’ll let you in if you’re not 21, X your hands for show. Lots of underage twinks come here.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow at Sebastian as they walked. “Excuse you, aren’t _you_ an underage twink?”

Sebastian laughed, throaty and carefree, mingling with the sound of the music that was now audible from the club. “Please, I am nothing less than a connoisseur.”

They made their way to the front of the line, and a bored bouncer sharpie’d crosses on the back of Kurt’s hands. They moved inside the building, and were enveloped by the close, hot, loud atmosphere.

“Alright,” Kurt said loudly, moving closer to Sebastian. “Tell me what to do.”

Being in the club erased any awkwardness from the drive. Kurt no longer cared that he was with Sebastian, or that he had been semi-tricked into this, or that all Sebastian wanted was to get laid, and was willing to throw Kurt some sort of bone so he could achieve that end. All Kurt wanted now was to have fun, to look at cute boys, maybe talk to some, perhaps take some advice from Sebastian.

Sebastian grinned slyly, and then motioned towards the bar. “First,” he announced, taking Kurt by the arm and leading him across the room, “you head for the bar, get a drink, loosen up.” Sebastian glanced back at Kurt, looking him up and down. “Of course, you’re not drinking, and you’re also so tense it would take far too much booze to relax you.”

Kurt rolled his eyes, not bothering to take the insult to heart. They reached the bar and Kurt waited on the outskirts of the crowd while Sebastian fought for the attention of the bartender. Eventually he returned with two shot glasses full of clear liquid. He and Kurt moved further away from the bar, and Sebastian leaned in to continue his educational lecture. “You have to tread a careful line when you’re drinking at clubs,” he instructed. “Get pleasantly tipsy, but not ridiculously drunk.” He paused to down one of the shots, grimacing for a moment before continuing. “Too drunk means no hard-on, no hard-on means no fun.” He swallowed his second shot, set the glasses on a table, and then put his arm companionably around Kurt. “And then, you dance.”

Sebastian removed his arm and headed determinedly for the dance floor. Kurt, feeling bubbly inside and already somewhat drunk on the atmosphere, followed him gamely.

Kurt caught up with Sebastian, the two of them surrounded by dancing bodies. As Sebastian moved along with the rhythmic beat, he spoke into Kurt’s ear. “This isn’t a legitimate gay bar, but you can tell who’s looking. Look around. Scope out your options. This is where you make a connection. Where you show off. Confidence is key. If you know that you’re hot, other people will want you. Believe it. Christ, Hummel, will you stop standing there like a manikin? Move!” Sebastian grabbed Kurt’s hips and forced him to sway to the music. Shocked at the rather intimate touch, Kurt easily complied. Sebastian removed his hands, continuing to dance. “Confidence, Hummel,” he reminded. “Don’t be so hesitant. You could be anywhere, fucking anyone, but you’ve chosen to grace these losers with your presence. Make sure they know that.”

“Humility’s a virtue,” Kurt pointed out, even as he took Sebastian’s notes and tried to dance in a more self-assured way.

“Humility doesn’t get you laid,” Sebastian replied. “Now, once you spot a good guy, you dance with him. Have some _fun_. Once you’re with him you have options. Be blunt, or drag it out.”

“Oh?” Kurt prompted. He and Sebastian were moving to the thumping beat, pushed close together by the crowd. Sebastian’s eyes wandered over the surrounding people, clearly taking his own advice. He spoke again after a minute. “You can play hard to get. Get his attention, then leave. Dance with somebody else, someone second-rate. Go back to the bar. See if he follows you. See if he’s watching you.” Sebastian paused for a moment, closing his eyes, breathing deeply. “Cock your eyebrow. Wordlessly _dare_ him to come after you. If he doesn’t, his loss. Find someone better. Repeat the process.” Sebastian stopped speaking, observing the crowd. Kurt was afraid that some hot guy was going to come along and distract Sebastian. Kurt, surprisingly, was thoroughly enjoying his Picking up Guys 101. He moved closer to Sebastian.

“You can also be blunt?” He asked, hoping Sebastian would pick up on the topic again.

Sebastian’s eyes returned to Kurt, and the pupils seemed to be wider. It was hard to tell in the dim lighting, though. “Right,” Sebastian agreed, his voice deep. “You can be direct. Get close, whisper in his ear…” at that point, Sebastian must have decided that showing was better than telling. He leaned forward, his lips centimeters away from the side of Kurt’s face, and breathed, “You wanna go somewhere a little more private?”

Kurt felt shivers go down his spine, blood rushing in his ears. Suddenly it felt a lot less like a game. He knew that Sebastian was drunk and trying to show off his superior knowledge. He knew that he was having this reaction because of purely physical reasons; the closeness, the warm breath in his ear, the alluring words…

Sebastian moved back, but his face was still very close to Kurt’s. Kurt swallowed. “Blunt,” he agreed with Sebastian, and he thought he was probably inaudible due to the music. “I get it.”

Sebastian blinked, seemingly confused. Then he took a deep breath, grinning widely, flashing white teeth that seemed to almost glow in the club lighting. He clapped Kurt’s shoulder. “Good luck, grasshopper,” he told Kurt. “I’ve gotta go boy-hunting. Text me if you can’t find me.”

Then he was retreating, moving through the other dancers and disappearing from Kurt’s sight. For a moment Kurt stopped moving, a single stationary figure in a sea of pulsing motion. After a moment he shook his head, closed his eyes, and tried to get lost in the music.


	23. Chapter 23

Kurt had taken a break from dancing and was leaning against a railing, sipping a Coke he’d managed to buy, when Sebastian appeared in front of him.

“Jackpot,” he said cryptically, and then reached out and grabbed Kurt’s wrist, beginning to tug him away.

“Woah, hold on,” Kurt shouted, pulling his arm back. “What’s going on?”

“I need you to be my wingman,” Sebastian told him excitedly.

Kurt snorted. “No,” he said firmly.

Sebastian laughed, as though Kurt’s refusal was just a silly joke. “Come _on_ Kurt, it’s perfect! I met this guy who’s here with a friend. You just need to talk to his friend, seem interested until I can pull the cute one off on his own, and then you’re done. You don’t even have to be interested in his friend. You get experience, I get a blowjob. Perfect!”

“This is not beneficial to me,” Kurt argued. “You get laid, I get stuck with some skeezy guy? No. Not a chance.”

Sebastian ran a hand through his already-disheveled hair. “What are you even doing?” he asked. “You’re not dancing, you’re not with a guy.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Are those my only options?”

“I thought you came here to learn how to pick up guys,” Sebastian pointed out.

Kurt nodded. He’d realized that while talking to Sebastian normally could be frustrating, talking to him while he was drunk would probably be a full-on chore. Unless he started apologizing. He actually tended to do that a lot when he was drunk. “You imparted some valuable information. I was frankly surprised it didn’t involve raunchy pick-up lines. Thank you for your wisdom. I think I’ll pass on implementing it for now, though.”

Sebastian stared at him for a second. “What?”

Kurt laughed. The music was loud and Sebastian was intoxicated and he should’ve toned down his vocabulary to that of a third grader. “You really want me to be your wingman?” Kurt asked.

Sebastian pressed his hands together, begging. “Please. I’ll buy you a Versace scarf.”

Kurt scoffed. “Don’t make promises you’re not gonna keep, Smythe.” He sighed, then lifted up his glass in a resigned gesture. “Fine. Let’s go.”

Sebastian punched the air, and then grabbed Kurt’s arm once again. Kurt rolled his eyes but allowed himself to be tugged, recklessly, through the crowd of moving bodies, content for once to stop thinking so hard.

…

 

On the plus side, the friend of the guy Sebastian had his eyes on was not skeezy. In fact, he was impressively attractive. On the other hand, he also seemed extremely self-absorbed and not particularly intelligent.

Sebastian had disappeared with the other guy at least fifteen minutes earlier, but Kurt was still stuck leaning against the bar, listening to the guy- Chad- talk about himself.

“…so I’m not sure if I’m gonna do crew again this year, but-“

“You know what?” Kurt interrupted suddenly, fed up. “Do you need another drink? Let me get you another drink.”

Chad grinned. “Great! Just another beer.”

Kurt nodded, forcing a smile. “Yeah, let me just go find the damn bartender.”

“Okay,” Chad agreed.

Kurt turned and walked down the length of the bar, pushing past people waiting for drinks. Once he was far enough away from Chad, he turned away from the bar and went to sit at a table. He was sweaty and slightly annoyed. The club was more crowded than when they’d entered, and Kurt was essentially ready to leave. It had been fun earlier, when he’d been dancing with Sebastian and listening to him talk…but once he was left on his own, the night had gone downhill.

He pulled out his phone and sent a text to Sebastian.

_You’ve got ten minutes to meet me by the door, then I’m leaving without you._

Kurt headed to the exit and hung around, watching as more people came into the club. Nine minutes later, Sebastian showed up. He looked considerably more tousled than he had the last time Kurt saw him.

“Cockblock,” Sebastian teasingly accused as soon as he was in earshot.

Kurt rolled his eyes. “You made me drive. You’re subject to my whims.”

With that he turned and headed out the door. Sebastian followed behind him, laughing. Once they were outside, Sebastian nudged Kurt with his elbow. “So, you get it on with what’s-his-face?”

Kurt scoffed. “No.”

“No wonder you’re so pissy.”

Kurt ignored Sebastian, because he knew arguing was just going to give him a headache. “Let’s just go home, huh?”

They made their way to the car. As soon as the engine started, Kurt pushed in a CD. Sebastian rolled his eyes but didn’t comment. They were mostly quiet on the way back to Westerville, though at some points Kurt thought he could hear Sebastian softly humming along with the Maroon 5 songs. He could have just been hearing things, though.

As Kurt exited the freeway for Westerville, he asked, “Where’s a coffee shop around here?”

Sebastian looked at Kurt inquisitively. “Why?”

“Because I still need to drive home and I’m getting a headache and I need to stay awake.”

Instead of answering, Sebastian seemed to consider something for a moment. “I have an idea. Don’t take me home yet.”

Kurt sighed. “Why not?”

“Just…trust me,” Sebastian suggested. “Turn right at the next intersection.”

Begrudgingly, Kurt flicked on his blinker. “Is this going to lead me to a coffee shop?”

“Not yet,” Sebastian said. “Something better.”

Kurt followed Sebastian’s instructions, heading east through Westerville. They ended up on a road heading north, out of town. Kurt was confused, and his perplexity only increased when Sebastian told him to turn onto a dirt road.

“Where are we going?” He asked as he made the turn, the car ride becoming bumpier.

“We’re almost there,” Sebastian replied. “You’ll see.”

After another few seconds of driving, the dusty road opened up into a wide clearing. Trees bordered it on most sides, except for where water lapped up on a dirt beach.

Kurt stopped the car, turning off the engine. He stared at the body of water in front of him. “What is this?” he asked.

“Reservoir,” Sebastian answered simply as he unbuckled. “Come on.” He opened his door and got out. Kurt quickly followed suit.

The air outside was cool, a soft breeze coming off of the water. Kurt could hear the sounds of it gently lapping against the shore. The moon, which was nearly full that night, was reflected and refracted brightly in the water. Sebastian climbed onto the front of Kurt’s car and leaned against the windshield. After observing him for a moment under the moonlight, Kurt got up and settled in next to him.

“I used to be able to name a shit-ton of constellations,” Sebastian said without preface. “I was really into stars when I was a kid. My parents bought me a telescope and all that. But now all I can pick out are the dippers.”

Kurt was a little shocked. “Um…” he muttered, not sure how to reply. Then he took a deep breath. “Well, those ones,” he said, pointing, “The really long string, that curves, with the square at the end, that’s Draco. And there…that kind of zig-zag, that’s Cassiopeia. Can’t remember what her story is, but she sounds Greek.”

Sebastian sniffed. “What’s the point of constellations, anyway?” he asked rhetorically. “People see stars and they feel the need to make them into shapes. Doesn’t make any sense. They’re just…stars. That’s all.”

Kurt sighed, staring up at the night sky. “Because people want to be immortal,” he said simply. “They want their stories to last through the ages. They want to matter beyond their own lives.”

Sebastian snorted. “Wow, Hummel, deep.”

Kurt smacked him on the arm. “I wouldn’t expect you to appreciate philosophy.”

Sebastian laughed. “You’re right. It’s just not vapid enough for me to identify with.”

“I thought you were supposed to be better than a dumb trust fund kid.”

Sebastian scoffed. “Please, don’t confuse me with Melanie. She’s the supposedly down-to-earth one. I happily accept my unavoidable privilege and plan on exploiting it as much as possible so that I can evade having to actually think about things.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “I don’t know why I’d suspect anything else.”

“Just don’t have any suspicions about me,” Sebastian told him teasingly. “I’m all right here. No deep dark secrets, no alternate personalities that can only be reached when I’m vulnerable. You get what you see.”

Kurt smiled, glancing at Sebastian before returning his gaze to the stars above him. He didn’t say anything, even though he already knew Sebastian was wrong.

The boys stayed there for quite a while. Often they were simply quiet, listening to the water and the crickets and looking at the sky. Other times they offered up playful conversation- nothing of substance or sentiment, simply banter and silly comments. Eventually Kurt was yawning more than he wasn’t, and he insisted it was time to go.

“You’re no fun,” Sebastian protested, pouting.

“Shut up,” Kurt replied. “I’m exhausted.”

They got into the car and Kurt started the engine. “Now, please, actually tell me where a coffee shop is this time.”

Sebastian seemed to be considering something. “You know, I could drive you home, or something. I don’t want you falling asleep on the road and making me responsible for your death.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Thanks for the offer, but then where are you supposed to go? I can’t exactly tell my father I went to Mercedes’ house and came back with _you_.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re lying about hanging out with me? How rebellious.”

Kurt sighed as he put his car into gear and began to turn around in the clearing. “Yeah, well, you don’t exactly have the best reputation where I come from.”

Sebastian shrugged, leaning back in his seat. “Depends on what you consider a good reputation.”

Kurt turned back onto the main road, unable to afford a skeptical glance at Sebastian. “Well, everyone I know kind of hates you, so I’m thinking that’s not good.”

Sebastian clicked his tongue. “You say they hate me. That might be true. Miss Violet Beauregard Berry got all hot and bothered when she found out you were hanging out with me, didn’t she?”

Ignoring the nickname, Kurt agreed.

“Right,” Sebastian continued. “So maybe she doesn’t like me. She has strong negative feelings regarding me. But you know what? She also fears me. She doesn’t like you hanging around me because she cares about you. She’s afraid of what I’ll do to you, to her social life, to her future career. I’m unpredictable because I’m not afraid to do bad things. I could ruin everything and not really care. So sure, she hates me. But that gives me power over her.”

This time, Kurt had to look at Sebastian in semi-disgusted awe. “You truly are evil,” he commented.

Sebastian grinned smugly and shrugged. “Evil genius, maybe.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Where should I turn?” he asked as he reached an intersection.

Sebastian smiled. “Turn right. There’s a Starbucks with 24/7 drive-through.”

“Thank God,” Kurt muttered, flicking on his blinker.


	24. Chapter 24

Kurt got himself a large coffee, then dropped Sebastian off at his house with a slightly awkward goodbye. By the time he made it into Lima it was pushing 5AM, and he resigned himself to the minimal amount of sleep he was going to get. He drove to Mercedes’ house and parked down the street, so her parents wouldn’t see the car. He slipped into the house through the back door, which he happened to know was always unlocked. He took off his shoes and tip-toed to Mercedes’ room. She was in bed, sleeping. Kurt knew she was a pretty heavy sleeper, so he pulled extra linens from her closet and set them up on the floor next to her bed, and then searched through her drawers for a pair of pajama pants to wear. Finally, he curled up under a blanket and drifted blissfully into sleep.

He woke up only three hours later when Mercedes nudged him with her foot. Kurt let out an unintelligible noise that only slightly resembled a human language.

“Morning, Sunshine,” Mercedes quipped. “Come on, my parents just left for work. You don’t get to come to my house in the middle of the night and not tell me about it.”

Kurt groaned, rolling over and tangling himself in his blanket. “Can I tell you about it over food?”

Mercedes laughed. “Yeah, get up. I feel like making waffles.”

Kurt managed to drag himself out of bed, but it was worth it once he had a plate of Mercedes’ cinnamon-nutmeg waffles.

“So?” Mercedes prompted. “What were you doing last night?”

Kurt sighed. While he knew that he’d partly come there that morning to avoid having to explain things to his dad, it was also because he wanted to see Mercedes. Frankly, he was tired of lying and keeping the truth from people. He also had the feeling Mercedes would be a lot more understanding than Rachel or Finn had been. Mercedes might have been a diva, but she listened to reason.

“I have a confession to make,” Kurt announced.

Mercedes seemed delighted. “Are you secretly seeing someone? I knew it. Who is he?”

Kurt laughed. “No, I do _not_ have a secret boyfriend. Jeez.”

Mercedes looked rather disappointed. “Okay, fine. What do you have to confess?”

Kurt set his fork down. “Well…don’t freak out, okay? Or get mad at me. But…over the summer, I’ve actually spent some time…hanging out with Sebastian Smythe.”

Mercedes stared at him for a second, uncomprehending. “What?”

Kurt took a bite of his waffle before replying. “I became friends with Melanie, this girl who works at the Lima Bean. And she’s fantastic, really, you should meet her. Anyway, it turns out that she and Sebastian are kind of friends. Actually sort of best friends. So hanging out with her sometimes meant being around Sebastian. But, after a while, to my extreme surprise…he wasn’t really that bad.”

Mercedes tilted her head. “I think I’m in shock,” she said. “You hated that guy.”

“Yeah,” Kurt agreed meekly. “I did. And he did some pretty terrible things to all of us, I’m not denying that. I’m not even saying he’s forgiven for that. But…getting to know him better surprised me. He’s more than a prep school snob with a mean streak. He can be really fun sometimes.”

Mercedes sighed. “I wish you’d told me that you had a secret boyfriend.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Remember how much we hated Rachel our sophomore year?”

“Yes.”

“Remember the terrible things she’s done? Sent Sunshine to that crack house, stuffed the ballot boxes, cost us Nationals?”

Mercedes sighed. “Yes.”

Kurt smiled. “But she’s still our friend, because we can see past that. We know that there’s more to her than the awful stuff she’s done. I’m not saying that I want to be best friends with Sebastian Smythe, mostly because I’ve already got the best friends on the planet,” he nudged her leg with his foot and she smiled, “but I’m also not going to mindlessly hate him anymore. And I’m not going to avoid him, especially since that could get in the way of spending time with Melanie.”

“Okay,” Mercedes said, resigned. “I get it. You make a good argument.” She grinned. “But I want to meet this Melanie girl, okay? She sounds fun, even if she’s buddies with some less-than-fabulous people.”

Kurt grinned. “Thank you for not freaking out.”

Mercedes rolled her eyes. “What are friends for?”

…

 

Melanie sighed, smoke billowing out of her mouth. “It was terrible,” she concluded her story.

Wednesday night found Kurt, Melanie and Sebastian in their ‘spot’ along the golf course. Melanie had just related her uncomfortable encounter in the grocery store that afternoon, in which she’d run into the boy who worked for the catering company at the dinner party a few weeks ago. They’d chatted a little and then she’d asked him out… just as his girlfriend rounded the corner and put her arm around him.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Look, Mel, I feel you. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been cockblocked by an unfortunate significant other.” There was an awkward pause before Sebastian hurried on. “But you can’t come to me with embarrassing stories, because I always have better ones.”

Melanie made an irritated noise. “That’s not actually how friendship works, Seb.”

Sebastian shrugged. “I guess I’m a terrible friend.”

Melanie shoved him, causing him to bump into Kurt slightly. Sebastian righted himself, unaffected.

“You can’t claim to have embarrassing stories,” Melanie argued, “when you have no shame and therefore never get embarrassed.”

Sebastian grinned. “You have a good point. But your grandmother has never walked in on you fooling around with a boy.”

“Jesus Christ,” Kurt muttered.

Melanie shuddered. “You’re right. And we’re not replaying that one.”

Sebastian laughed, the noise dissipating through the trees around them.

“I’m tired,” Melanie complained.

“It’s ten o’clock,” Kurt pointed out.

Melanie grimaced at him. “I worked all day.”

“And then worked yourself into a nicotine coma,” Sebastian added. He received another shove.

“I am perfectly fine,” Melanie insisted. “Smoking has nothing to do with it.”

“Oh yeah?” Sebastian asked, his eyebrows raising devilishly. “You sure about that?”

“Positive,” Melanie affirmed.

Sebastian leaped forward, pinning Melanie to the ground. “Stop!” she squealed. “Stop it!”

Sebastian did not relent; instead, he started tickling her.

She screamed, her arms flailing. “I’m gonna burn you!” she exclaimed, her lit cigarette veering dangerously close to his cheek.

Sebastian grabbed her wrist, holding it away from her. “Help me out, Hummel!” he cried.

Laughing, Kurt reached forward and knocked the cigarette from Melanie’s fingers. She glared at him. “Traitor,” she accused.

“He’s being a good Samaritan,” Sebastian told her. “It would be a crime to mar my pretty face.”

Then he resumed tickling her. He ceased only when she managed to give him a swift kick to the stomach. He howled and curled up in pain, and Melanie escaped from underneath him, hopping to her feet.

“Kurt…” Sebastian groaned. “Don’t let her get away! Avenge me!”

Laughing, Kurt quickly put out Melanie’s cigarette in the dirt and then got to his feet to chase her. She took off, running through the trees. While Kurt wasn’t particularly fast, he was lot fitter than Mel, and had the advantage of wearing sneakers. Melanie, barefoot, was struggling through the underbrush. Finally he caught up to her, breathing heavily, giggling and hiccupping, grabbing her around the waist. Their collective momentum propelled them forward, tripping and falling onto the ground.

“Let me go!” Melanie said.

Kurt hugged her tighter. “You’ll never get away!” He insisted, laughing. There was dirt on his clothes and his hair was probably full of leaves and they were being awfully loud for trespassers, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Adrenaline rushed through his veins, and he felt so carefree, so alive.

Sebastian appeared, looming over them in the darkness. “Good job, Hummel,” he commented.

Melanie sighed. “Okay, you’ve caught me. And you’ve also wasted half of a cigarette. What great friends I have.”

Kurt squeezed her, pressing his nose to the side of her face. She squealed as he whispered into her ear, “Yes, what great friends.”

She giggled, relaxing into Kurt. “Okay, if I agree will you let me go?”

“Maybe,” Kurt replied.

She sighed. “Fine. You guys are great friends. And I forgive you.”

After a staged moment of thought, Kurt released her. She pushed herself up, combing her fingers through her hair and trying to rid it of plant debris. Kurt stood up, and Sebastian held up his hand for a high five. Kurt complied, and Melanie rolled her eyes. “Dumb boys,” she commented, turning back towards their clearing.

…

 

Later that night, on their way home, Sebastian stopped in town to get gas. While Seb was filling up the tank, Kurt looked around and noticed that Brittany was sitting on the curb, looking out at the street. “I’ll be right back,” Kurt muttered to Melanie, who sat in the passenger seat, and got out of the car.

He approached the blonde girl, and called her name when he was close. “Brittany?”

She turned, then smiled up at him. “Kurt!” she exclaimed.

“Hi,” he replied, sitting on the curb next to her. “Uh, what’re you doing here?”

“I’m not lost,” she assured him. Kurt let out a sigh of relief, because that was precisely what he’d expected. “Santana’s inside buying drinks. She told me to wait out here.”

“Okay,” Kurt said.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I was out with some friends,” Kurt answered, gesturing vaguely to the gas pumps. “We’re just getting gas.”

“Oh, okay,” Brittany agreed. “Were you in that shiny silver car?”

Kurt grinned. “Yeah, I was. I better get going, okay?”

“Okay. Bye, Kurt!”

“Bye, Brit.” He stood and returned to the Audi, where Sebastian and Melanie were waiting for him. They pulled out of the driveway and headed back for Kurt’s house.

Brittany observed the cars going past her, waiting patiently. A few minutes later Santana returned, carrying a Four Loko for herself and an iced tea for Brittany. She reached Brit and handed her the drink.

“Thanks,” Brittany said, patting the sidewalk next her. Begrudgingly, Santana sat down next to her. “Kurt was here while you were inside. He said hi.”

“Really?” Santana asked.

“Yeah,” Brittany answered, popping open her tea. “He was in a convertible car with a really pretty girl and that Sebastian boy.”

Santana blinked. “Sebastian Smythe?”

Brittany shrugged. “Is there another one?”

Santana opened her drink and took a sip, wrinkles forming between her eyebrows.

…

 

Kurt knocked softly on his stepbrother’s door, and pushed it open when he heard Finn say, “Yeah?”

“Hey,” Kurt whispered, poking his head in. “Do you have any clean towels in here?”

“Uh, yeah,” Finn said, taking off his headphones and walking over to a laundry basket full of unfolded clothes. He pulled out a bath towel and handed it to Kurt. “What happened to you?”

Kurt grimaced. There was, indeed, dirt in his hair. Probably on his face, too. “I was hanging out with Melanie and Sebastian. We were just messing around. I fell down.”

Finn still looked skeptical. “Um, okay.”

“Good night, Finn.”

“Night, Kurt.”

Kurt retreated to the bathroom to shower.


	25. Chapter 25

The next day, Rachel came by in her dad’s car to pick up Kurt so they could go to the gym for a dance class. According to the online forums, NYADA’s dance classes were brutal, so Kurt and Rachel decided they needed to start getting in shape and prepared. It was a good workout, and the pair hopped back in the car energized and confident.

Rachel parked in Kurt’s driveway and unbuckled. “Is it okay if I come in?” she asked.

“I’m just gonna go upstairs and shower,” Kurt told her.

She smiled. “That’s okay, I’ll see what Finn’s doing.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow as she got out of the car. Something about her countenance seemed off. Shaking his head to rid himself of the notion, he exited the car and headed for his house.

Rachel had already gone in and left the door ajar, so Kurt followed her and closed it soundly. He headed for the stairs to get to his room, but was stopped by what he saw in the living room.

It was full of people.

Rachel was there, standing next to a rather uncomfortable-looking Finn. They were joined by Santana, Brittany, Tina, Quinn, and Puck. All of them were turned to face Kurt, looking at him. He blinked.

“Um, hi, everyone,” he said. “Is there some sort of reunion I didn’t hear about?”

“This isn’t a reunion,” Rachel told him.

“It’s an intervention,” Santana supplied.

Kurt cocked his head. “An intervention for who?”

“For you, Kurt,” Rachel said.

“Just for the record,” Finn spoke up, addressing Kurt. “I had nothing to do with this, and I don’t approve.”

“Yeah,” Puck added, looking around the room. “I was just here playing Black Ops with Finn when they all showed up.”

Kurt shot the kind of glare that could physically harm someone at Rachel, suspecting that she was the cause of all this. “What’s going on?” He asked tersely.

Santana, however, was the one to answer. “It’s about Sir Horse Face the O.C. character.”

Rachel blinked. “Sebastian Smythe,” she clarified.

Kurt closed his eyes, in absolute unbelieving rage. “Are you guys _serious_?” he asked.

“Look, Kurt,” Quinn said. “The people who hang out with can define your life, and the wrong people can cause you to make mistakes. I’ve learned that the hard way.”

“Thanks, Quinn,” Kurt snapped. “But I’m not going to get pregnant or tattoo Ryan Seacrest’s face on my lower back.”

He knew it was a low blow, but he was finding it extremely difficult to care.

“Kurt,” Rachel said, her tone somehow both complacent and stuck-up at the same time. “This is _exactly_ like when I was dating Jesse St. James. I was too blinded to see that he was just using me to cause the downfall of New Directions-“

“We’re _not in Glee Club anymore_!” Kurt exclaimed. “Can’t any of you grow up? God! I’m an adult and I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions. Please just focus on your own lives and try to keep from meddling in mine, okay?”

With that, Kurt turned on his heel and began to stomp up the stairs. He heard footsteps behind him and whipped around, ready to bite the head off whoever wanted to continue the conversation.

It was Brittany, though, and as soon as he’d turned around Brittany was putting her arms around him. “I’m sorry,” she said softly, patting his shoulder blades. “I just came because Santana told me there’d be cupcakes.” She pulled back, looking at Kurt earnestly. “I don’t care if you hang out with that Sebastian guy. He kind of reminds me of Lord Tubbington, actually.”

Not even attempting to decipher what she meant by that, Kurt forced a smile. “Thanks, Brit. I’m gonna go shower now, okay?”

“Okay.” Brittany turned around and hopped down the stairs.

Sighing loudly, Kurt continued his way upstairs.

…

 

When Kurt returned downstairs with an overnight bag slung over his shoulder, Santana, Brittany, and Rachel were still in the house. Kurt sent a pointed glare at Rachel before heading out the door. He’d called Melanie from his room, and she was on her way to pick him up. He texted Finn that he was spending the night with Melanie.

Melanie’s car pulled up within a few minutes and Kurt hopped in. “What’s wrong?” she asked immediately. The tone of his phone call had been worrisome.

“Just get me out of here,” Kurt instructed. “Then I’ll tell you.”

They ended up at a park, swaying lazily on the swings. A few children played on the play structure, parents sitting on benches or standing and watching.

“They are just so _meddlesome_ ,” Kurt was saying. “They can’t handle the fact that I’m making decisions they might not agree with, so they pose a freaking intervention. For all the crap they preached for the past couple years about being a family and accepting one another, they’re basically the most judgmental group of people I’ve ever met. It almost makes me wish I’d stayed at Dalton.”

Melanie swung her legs, drawing patterns in the sand with her toes. “Maybe then you’d’ve met Sebastian anyway,” she pointed out.

“I can’t stand it!” Kurt exclaimed. “I’ve always been a good judge of character. Why don’t they trust me? And more importantly, why do they even care?”

Melanie shrugged. “I know you’re pissed, but try not to get too mad at them, okay? It seems like, for the most part, they were trying to help you. I mean, Sebastian doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to interacting with your friends. You can’t totally blame them for trying to protect you.”

Kurt stared at her. “You’re his best friend. Aren’t you supposed to defend him?”

Melanie laughed. “I may be his best friend, but I’m also not stupid. I know that Sebastian has done some pretty awful things in the past. He’s always been good to me, but it’s not the same for the rest of the world. Sebastian…he has a lot of issues, and he takes them out on other people. It’s how he isolates himself.”

Kurt scoffed. “From the way he talks you’d think he didn’t have a care in the world.”

Melanie raised her eyebrow. “Do you really believe that?”

Kurt pushed himself off the ground, swinging back and forth a couple times before answering. “No,” he admitted. “Not now. But before I knew him…”

“Exactly,” Melanie said. “Your friends don’t know him. They think just what you used to think.”

Kurt dragged his feet in the sand, stilling himself. “I understand that. I think I just feel like… I was kind of stupid back then. We all got caught up in this petty show choir rivalry. We just hated him blindly. And he sort of tried to redeem himself, eventually…”

Melanie sighed. “Look, Sebastian is, if nothing else, petty. He likely goaded you into whatever negative feelings you had about him. I love him, but… I understand why most people don’t. He acts superior because it’s the only way he can avoid feeling inferior.”

“Sebastian, inferior?” Kurt asked, scoffing. Kurt knew how inferiority felt- being constantly, forcibly put into his place. Being rejected and put down and told he was worthless. That had been his life for a long time. He couldn’t possibly imagine Sebastian knowing what that was like.

“Yeah,” Melanie said softly. “Most of what Sebastian says, or does, is… based on a persona, I guess.”

Kurt sighed. He watched the children run around on the playground, going down slides, hanging onto monkey bars. He knew the parents were probably shooting him and Melanie dirty looks- teenage deviants encroaching on their children’s space.

“I guess…” he muttered, trying to organize and consolidate his thoughts. How could he put them into words? “People aren’t just good or bad. Obviously. People are just…people. They do things. Bad things, good things. Selfish things, kind things. I used to think of Sebastian as a Bad Person. No room for gray area. But…bad people aren’t just bad. They’re complicated. Everyone is. Even if your negative actions outweigh your positive ones… that still doesn’t make you innately evil.” He sighed.

Melanie reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “You’re right,” she agreed. “And, it’s also important to realize that… Sebastian’s bad actions aren’t only bad for other people. Oftentimes, he’s hurting himself too.”

Kurt sat there, staring blankly. “Why is everything always so fucked up?” he asked.

Melanie laughed, with little real amusement. “Because it’s life.”

They were quiet for a few moments.

“Well, I’m depressed as hell,” Melanie said. “You want to go get something to eat?”

Kurt half-smiled. “Yeah,” he agreed. “I do.”

They stood up, vacating the swings so the children could use them. As they walked through the playground to Melanie’s car, the sounds of kids laughing and playing around them, Melanie reached for Kurt’s hand and took it, holding it tight.

…

 

That night, while Melanie watched Ten Things I Hate About You, Kurt browsed through her bookshelf. Kurt liked reading well enough, but never seemed to find a whole lot of time for it. Melanie had an impressive collection of books, her two bookshelves filled completely, books shoved on top of others and balanced precariously on top. Kurt pulled out a paperback called _Sweethearts_ and was flipping through it when a thick piece of paper fell out.

Kurt bent down and picked it up from where it had fluttered down to the floor. It was a thick piece of cardstock, embossed with a red border, fancy script in the center spelling out words.

_It is our pleasure to announce that Melanie Elizabeth Brooks will be graduating on the First of June, Two-Thousand and Twelve._

Kurt studied the paper, standing up and replacing the book he’d been holding on the shelf. He glanced over at Melanie, lounging on her bed. “Your middle name is Elizabeth,” he commented.

“Huh?” Melanie said, looking away from the TV screen. “Oh, yeah. How’d you know?”

Kurt held up the paper in his hand. “Graduation announcement.”

“Oh yeah,” Melanie nodded. “I used that as a bookmark.”

Kurt read the announcement again. He knew that it was a very common name for women. There wasn’t anything really remarkable about it. He said it anyway, though. “My mom’s name was Elizabeth.”

Melanie tilted her head, considering. “Come sit with me,” she said.

Kurt tucked the announcement back into the bookshelf and walked over to Melanie’s bed, shedding his shoes before crawling on next to her. He leaned back against the pillows and Melanie scooted closer, resting her head on his shoulder. They watched the movie in silence for a few minutes.

“When did she die?” Melanie asked softly.

Kurt liked the way she said it. It was very indicative of Melanie’s nature- no beating around the bush, no careful lead-up. Not even some sort of gentle substituted word, like ‘when did she pass’ or ‘when did you lose her.’ Just the truth, plain and simple.

“I was eight,” Kurt told her. Then, before she could ask, he added, “Leukemia.”

Melanie reached for Kurt’s hand and laced their fingers together, giving it a squeeze. It was a wordless thank you, a promise that she appreciated the knowledge, the vulnerability. She turned momentarily to look at Kurt. She examined his face, her eyes soft.

“She must have been wonderful,” Melanie said. “Just like you.”

Kurt smiled, and Melanie leaned against him again. They watched the movie for a while longer. Both of them had to blink tears from their eyes after Kat read her poem.

“Hey,” Kurt said as the credits were rolling, neither of them moving to stop the DVD. Something had been bothering him.

“Yeah?” Melanie answered.

“Why _didn’t_ I meet Sebastian while I was at Dalton?” he asked. “I mean, why wasn’t he in the Warblers?”

Melanie rolled over, lying flat on her back. “He’s not really into singing, anyway. He just joined last year so he could be a captain. His parents wanted him to have more extracurriculars or something.”

“Oh,” Kurt muttered. He’d always wondered why the senior council system hadn’t been in place the previous year. He now figured it probably had something to do with Sebastian wanting to be able to take all the credit. “Funny that he’d pick that, though.”

Melanie shrugged. “I dunno. He’s good at it.”

“Yeah…” Kurt pondered. “I’ll have to ask him about it. Do you guys have plans for the weekend?”

Melanie sat up, blinking at Kurt. “No,” she told him. “Sebastian’s gone all week.”

“What?” Kurt asked.

“Yeah,” Melanie said. “He’s going to some pre-college orientation program at NYU. He’s leaving early tomorrow morning and won’t be back ‘til next Saturday.”

Kurt gaped a little as Melanie crawled off the bed and took the 10 Things DVD out, putting it back in its case. Kurt didn’t know why he was having such a pronounced reaction- what did he care if Sebastian was gone for a week? It just meant he could hang out with Melanie on his own for a while.

Shaking his head slightly, trying to dispel the shock, Kurt turned to Melanie, ready to move on to something else.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! In honor of the quasi-holiday, here's an update featuring two boys that we ALL know are in the process of falling in love.  
> (side note, if anyone is remotely interested: when I wrote this story I picked NYU for Sebastian to go to simply because I needed him to be going somewhere in New York...and now I'm a student at NYU, so going through this again is amusing to see my school pop up in my own writing before it was my school)

While Sebastian may have been out of sight for a while, he didn’t stay out of mind.

On Saturday evening Kurt received a text from Sebastian. It didn’t have any sort of explanation that he was away at NYU, it simply said:

_Thank god for dorms-by-gender. Here’s hoping my roommate is hot._

Kurt snorted as he read it, and Burt looked at him shrewdly. “Kurt, put your phone away during dinner,” he instructed.

Slightly disappointed that he couldn’t send a clever reply, Kurt slipped his phone back into his pocket and continued eating.

When he did get a chance to check his phone again, he had another text from Sebastian.

_He’s straight and taken. Good thing I’m up for a challenge._

Kurt rolled his eyes and tapped out a reply.

_I’d tell you you’re insufferable but I’m sure you’ll be hearing that plenty this week from your future classmates._

Sebastian answered shortly.

_Please. I’m better at schmoozing than lower-upper-class housewife._

Kurt didn’t deign that with a response.

The following day, however, their dialogue was resumed.

_Everyone in Greenwich Village looks like a clone of you or Berry. How am I supposed to live here?_

Kurt received the text while he was lying on his bed looking at online clothing auctions. He laughed slightly, replying easily.

_Oh, and there are also poor people in New York. How will you survive?_

It wasn’t long before Kurt’s phone was buzzing again, with another message from Sebastian.

_It should be noted that while your dulcet shrieks convey sarcasm very well, text messages don’t._

Kurt couldn’t think of anything he could answer with that didn’t involve sarcasm(or the word ‘asshole’), so he locked his phone and abandoned the conversation.

…

 

On Monday, Kurt wanted to get out of the house, so he called Mercedes and they went out for coffee. Kurt related to her the entire intervention debacle, and she was appropriately disgusted.

"I'm not saying the boy's a saint, but they all need to learn to mind their own business."

"Exactly," Kurt agreed. "Who is Santana to lecture me on being moral?"

Mercedes laughed, sipping her coffee. Kurt felt his phone go off so he pulled it out, discovering a text from Seb.

_Saw a drag queen today. She reminded me of you._

Kurt shook his head slightly, sending a reply.

_That’s funny, I saw a news report about a priest molesting children and embezzling church funds. It reminded me of you!_

“Hey, funny seeing you here.” Kurt looked up to see that Melanie was standing over their table, wearing jeans and a tank top, her hair pulled back.

“Hey!” Kurt exclaimed. “Are you working?”

Melanie nodded. “My shift starts in five minutes.”

Kurt smiled. “This is my fabulous friend Mercedes,” he said. “Mercedes, this is Melanie.”

Mercedes smiled up at Melanie, an eyebrow cocked. “Ah, the elusive new friend of yours.”

Kurt shrugged, Melanie laughed. “I see my reputation precedes me. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mercedes,” she said.

“You too,” Mercedes replied.

“Well, I should go clock in,” Melanie told them. “I’ll talk to you later.”

They said goodbye and Melanie headed for the counter. Kurt glanced at his phone to see Sebastian’s text.

_Oh, very clever._

Mercedes spoke before Kurt could reply. “So, what’s Melanie like?”

Kurt set down his phone and shrugged. “She’s…smart. Nice. Carefree. Loyal.”

Mercedes nodded. “She sounds pretty great.”

“Yeah,” Kurt agreed. “You should hang out with us sometime.”

Mercedes shrugged, taking another sip of her drink. Kurt took the opportunity to type out a reply to Sebastian.

_It’s bizarre being in the Lima Bean without you lurking._

An answer came within seconds.

_I’m in New York. Clearly I’ve moved on._

Kurt scoffed quietly, thinking of a response.

“Who are you texting?” Mercedes asked.

“Uh…” Kurt cleared his throat. His first instinct was to lie, since that had been his general M.O. when it came to Sebastian. Then again, he’d just finished ranting to Mercedes about how he should be allowed to interact with whoever he wanted and was smart enough to make his own decisions. “Just Sebastian.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Really?”

“Yeah…” Kurt muttered as he texted a reply.

_Have you had any bagels?_

“Why?” Kurt asked then, his head snapping up. He’d been distracted, but the slightly suspicious tone in Mercedes’ voice worried him.

Mercedes shrugged. “No reason.”

Kurt examined her shrewdly, but was distracted by his phone vibrating.

_What?_

Kurt answered quickly.

_Bagels from the city. They’re fantastic._

“Seriously,” Kurt said to Mercedes. “What are you thinking?”

Mercedes finished her drink and then sighed. “You remember when you first met Blaine and you were talking to him all the time, blowing me off to spend time with him?”

Kurt resisted the urge to wince. “Uh, yeah.”

Mercedes shrugged. “It’s just that the way you’re acting now, smiling to your phone while we talk…it reminds me of how you acted back then.” She stood up and left the table, going to throw away her drink. Kurt sat there, dumbfounded. His phone went off in his hand, momentarily bringing him out of the shock.

… _No. I didn’t have breakfast this morning. I tend to get my nourishment from the pain of others._

Kurt shook his head, feelings utterly mixed up as he replied.

_Why am I not surprised?_

...

 

Mercedes’ words had somewhat unnerved Kurt, so he stopped texting Sebastian so much over the next couple of days, and when he did kept it as monosyllabic and unclever as possible. That tended to end any conversation they might have had.

On Wednesday Melanie came by and picked up Kurt. “It is ridiculously hot out,” she said, and he had to agree. Despite the fact that the sun was nearing the horizon, it was still sweltering out. “Let’s go get ice cream,” Melanie suggested, and Kurt was only too happy to comply.

Twenty minutes later they found a bench on the sidewalk outside the ice cream shop and sat down. Kurt sipped on a mint chocolate chip shake, while Melanie licked a scoop of cookies and cream. They enjoyed their treats in silence for a moment, before Kurt spoke.

“Seems like Sebastian is enjoying the city.”

“Yeah,” Melanie agreed as she slipped off her flip-flops, leaving them on the concrete, and brought her legs up to cross them. “He did well in Westerville, but I think New York will fit him better.”

Kurt stirred his shake with the straw. “Yeah, from his texts it sounds like he’s getting along well, huh?”

Melanie shrugged, licking ice cream off of her finger. “He hasn’t been texting me.”

Kurt froze, then slowly turned to look at her. “What?”

“He hasn’t texted me at all. But, you know, he and I don’t really text eachother in general. And I called him last night and we talked for like an hour.”

Kurt nodded, still feeling strange.

The heat continued to be nearly unbearable into the night. Kurt and Melanie stayed up in Melanie’s room, the fan on full-blast, drinking lemonade, and watching an America’s Next Top Model marathon. They finally fell asleep after midnight, on top of Melanie’s covers.

They slept late, and when they woke up the overwhelming heat still had not broken, so Melanie suggested they go swimming.

“We are not breaking into the pool again,” Kurt argued.

Melanie laughed. “Of course not, silly. The pool is open this time of day!”

Kurt glared at her. “Fine,” she acquiesced. “We’ll go to the lake.”

“Lakes are just as gross as public pools,” Kurt said.

“Come on,” she goaded him. “It’ll be fun. We can pack a lunch and have a picnic! Plus, it’s a man-made lake, it can’t possibly be that terrible.”

After a fair amount of grumbling, Kurt finally agreed. They made sandwiches in the kitchen, which was impressively and unsurprisingly well-stocked. They packed their food in a bag and hopped in Melanie’s car, stopping over at the Hummel-Hudson house briefly so Kurt could pick up swimming trunks and lotion-infused sunscreen. Then they were off, driving with the air conditioner and the radio blasting, towards the park outside of town that had several reservoirs and lakes for fishing, boats and swimming. They parked and then went on foot over barely-there trails, pushing bushes and branches out of their way, until they found a tiny and blessedly empty beach. Melanie shed her clothing and, bikini-clad, ran into the water. Kurt remained on shore, meticulously applying sunscreen to himself, watching her critically as she dunked her head underwater and splashed around. Eventually he joined her, stepping in slowly, acclimating his body to the water. It did admittedly feel fantastic compared to the heavy, humid air. Finally he pushed his head underwater, opening his eyes and swimming to grab at Melanie’s ankles. Together they got into splash fights and raced to a buoy further out, eventually coming back out to lie on towels on the rocky beach and suntan. Kurt dried himself off and reapplied sunscreen while Melanie set out their food.

As they ate and chatted aimlessly, Kurt’s mind wandered. He was a little sun-drunk, and a tiny bit actually-drunk too, since Melanie had brought a bottle of Mike’s Hard Lemonade for them to split. It was nice and simple, hanging out with Mel, but he had to admit that it felt a little strange, maybe lopsided, for Sebastian to not be there. Kurt was internally surprised- he hadn’t realized how accustomed he’d gotten to their trio of sorts.

Once they finished lunch they continued to sunbathe, and Melanie lit a cigarette. She sighed as she took a drag, smoke rushing out of her mouth. “Kurt, will you still love me when I’ve got throat cancer and need an oxygen tank to breathe?”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Stop smoking if you’re going to complain,” he told her.

“I know, I know,” she muttered.

They were quiet, listening to the lapping of the water, until Kurt spoke. “You know what’s not fair?”

“What?” Melanie asked.

“That I just met you, and you became my friend. And in less than a month- oh my god, it’s so close- we’re moving away.”

Melanie stared at the water, smoking. “Maine and New York aren’t _that_ far apart,” she said.

Kurt snorted. “There are like three states between them.”

“Yeah, but east coast states,” Melanie argued. “It could be worse.”

Kurt sighed. “I’m just…you know, glad I met you while I still had the chance.”

Melanie smiled slowly, the sun reflecting in her eyes. “Kurt, if it weren’t so damn hot I’d hug you.”

Kurt laughed. “Same.”

Once Melanie finished her cigarette she convinced Kurt to get back into the water, and they played like children.

…

 

The following day was a bad one for Kurt.

It started when he awoke from a dream that had caused his stomach to knot up. The details were blurry but he remembered Karofsky, and Blaine, and being very, very much alone. After lying in bed for a while he went downstairs to make tea in an attempt to feel better. He drank it so quick he nearly scalded the roof of his mouth, and then made another mug. He brought it upstairs with him and lounged on his bed with his laptop, figuring some online window-shopping would cheer him up. After a while he felt almost normal again, and took a break from paging through tasteful lapel pins in order to check his Facebook. He didn’t have any notifications but he scrolled down his news feed, skimming status updates and photos when he saw something that made him pause.

_Sam Evans liked Blaine Anderson’s status: “I’ve had the greatest week. Thanks to everyone who brightens my day!”_

Kurt closed his laptop and pushed it away from him. He’d unfriended Blaine after the breakup, but it was difficult to avoid him entirely. Kurt pressed his hands over his face, trying to cut off the unpleasant prickling feeling behind his eyes. He stayed prone for several minutes, internally trying to ignore the painful mixture of heartbreak and anger that was welling up in him. He was unsuccessful at pushing it away, though, so he decided distraction and movement was the best course of action.

He rolled out of bed and showered very quickly, combed and sprayed his hair, pulled on an outfit haphazardly, and grabbed his car keys. He ran down the stairs and left the house without seeing whether there was anyone he ought to tell where he was going. To be honest, he wasn’t yet sure what his destination was. He hopped into his car and started the engine, turned up the radio loudly, and pulled out.

He drove aimlessly for a while, trying to drown out the masochistic thoughts in his head. He hardly knew where he was when he glanced up and saw the bowling alley to his right. On a whim, he turned on his blinker and pulled in to the parking lot. He parked in the very back corner, getting out and locking his car. He found the gap in the fence, uncaring that it was daylight and the country club was open. He made his way through the underbrush and trees as he had several times that summer, finally ending up at the clearing. He paused, glancing around it. He’d never been there when it was so bright out. He stepped into the center of it and then sat down, taking a deep breath.

He spent several moments staring at the trees in front of him and listening to the birds in the trees. He focused on his breathing, slowing it down, keeping it from stuttering the way it had been while he drove. He decided that he didn’t care about his clothes or his hair, and he lay on his back, staring up at the sunlight that shone through the leaves above him.

Kurt sighed. He wished he had someone to talk to.

That was one of the worst parts of losing Blaine. He’d lost the person who he could tell anything to. Who he could text at any time about anything at all. The person who would just sit and listen when he needed to vent, comfort him when he felt sad or angry. No one else could fill that position. Rachel tended to be a terrible listener, and while Kurt loved Mercedes he didn’t feel quite comfortable telling her everything. He wasn’t even sure how to describe what he was feeling- jealous and alone and absolutely infuriated at the _unfairness_ of it all. Then there was Melanie, who Kurt knew probably wouldn’t mind hearing about his futile problems- but he didn’t want to burden her with his heartbreak.

Kurt heard a golf cart driving in the distance. He wondered what would happen if someone found him there- would he be kicked out? Cited for trespassing? Would he get a criminal record- have his admission to NYADA rescinded? He was finding it difficult to care.

He lay there, staring at the leaves that fluttered lazily in the breeze. He thought about how his summer had been so completely different from what he could have imagined- how single events can so drastically change the trajectory of your life. He thought about how he’d managed to spend a good portion of his summer with Sebastian Smythe, and the absurdity of that- how he had once hated Sebastian so passionately, feared him so deeply, felt so betrayed when Blaine continued to talk to him. Kurt tried to count the number of times he’d been drunk since school got out. Far more than he’d expected. Had he still been with Blaine, he likely would have spent the summer having good clean fun- except for the occasions when he and Blaine got a house to themselves for an extended amount of time. He didn’t feel bad about it though- the drinking, the parties, the clubs. To be honest, going out with Melanie and Sebastian had managed to give him a couple boosts of confidence, which he’d been sorely lacking after being dumped. He was so, so grateful for Melanie and what she’d done for him, the way she’d chosen to be his friend, the way she’d helped him learn about himself. And even Sebastian couldn’t go unthanked- Kurt recalled the way Seb had spoken in his ear at that club, telling him to be confident, to own his attractiveness. Who ever would have thought Sebastian Smythe would make Kurt _more_ self-assured?

Eventually Kurt’s stomach began rumbling, and he was becoming worried about how much dirt he was getting in his hair, so he decided it was time for him to leave. He felt a lot better than he had when he’d arrived, anyway.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even I get all flail-y at the end of this chapter, so I do hope you enjoy it.

Kurt’s things were slowly being organized and separated, and cardboard boxes had appeared in his room, their empty insides gaping, waiting to be filled. Kurt was finally being forced to pare down his wardrobe, deciding what would continue on with him and what would be left behind. Kurt knew that material objects weren’t supposed to be all that important and whatnot, but he couldn’t help but feel very sentimental towards nearly everything in his room, now that he knew he couldn’t keep all of it with him. Putting things in boxes felt a lot more permanent than color-coding with Post-it notes.

On Friday afternoon Kurt walked into the living room where Burt was sitting in his armchair, reading the newspaper. Kurt settled onto the couch, picked up the remote and flipped channels for a while, finally stopping on a History Channel program he really didn’t care about. He watched it for a few minutes before muting the TV and turning to his father.

“Hey, Dad?”

“Hmm?” Burt grunted, not taking his eyes off the paper.

“You’re not going to redecorate my room once I’m gone, are you?”

Burt looked up, setting the newspaper on his lap. “Kurt, I don’t know the first thing about redecorating.”

Kurt smiled slightly. “Yeah,” he agreed tentatively. “But…Carole won’t want it for scrapbooking or anything, will she?”

Burt stared at his son. “Why on earth would anybody need a whole room for that?”

Kurt shrugged. “Some people do. And, as long as you had the extra space, what with me not being here…” he trailed off.

Burt sighed. “Kurt,” he said simply, strongly, the name he’d been repeating with love for eighteen years. “I am awfully proud of you. We all are. You’re growing up and following your dreams, and I know you’re gonna take New York by storm and all that. But we’re not gonna forget you. Don’t worry about that at all.”

Kurt smiled, blinking back the prickling feeling in his eyes. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Sure thing, kiddo,” he said. “Now come here and hug me so I can get back to reading.”

Laughing, Kurt did as he was told.

 

…

 

“Sebastian’s home tonight,” Melanie said without prelude when Kurt answered his phone.

“Melanie,” he croaked. “It is too early for you to be calling me.”

“It’s eight o’clock,” she argued. “It’s hardly the crack of dawn.”

She had a point. Unfortunately, Kurt had been up far into the early morning Skyping with Mercedes while they both watched trash TV. It had started out because they just wanted to watch Project Runway reruns together, but then they’d started talking during the commercials about anything and everything, and Mercedes was leaving for L.A. and Kurt was leaving for New York and the reality hit him as he sat there in bed watching designers bicker and he couldn’t bring himself to end the Skype call until he was quite literally on the brink of falling asleep.

So he was particularly grouchy on Saturday morning. “Whatever. Can’t you call me back later?”

Melanie sighed dramatically. “Fine, if you’re going to be a diva. We’re hanging out tonight. I’ll pick you up. Just be ready around nine.”

“Ready for what?” Kurt asked, but Melanie had already hung up on him. Settling his phone clumsily back down, Kurt pulled his sheet up and drifted back to sleep.

…

 

When Kurt awoke, he had a bit of trouble deciding whether Melanie’s call had been a dream or not, but eventually came to the conclusion that it had actually happened. As he made himself breakfast in the kitchen, he told his dad that he was going to be spending time with Melanie that night.

“You two seem attached at the hip,” Burt observed.

Kurt shrugged. “I guess. My other friends are just busier, I think.” _And Melanie hasn’t managed to royally piss me off_ , he added mentally.

“You should have her over here again,” Burt commented. “I like her.”

Kurt hummed noncommittally, finishing his toast and heading back upstairs to shower and get dressed.

By the time nine o’clock rolled around, Kurt felt slightly apprehensive. He couldn’t quite explain, even to himself, why he was pacing aimlessly in his room. Sebastian was back tonight. That meant, obviously, he and Melanie were going to see Sebastian. That was good, right? It had felt a little strange without him. Then again…Kurt recalled the way he’d been dodging Sebastian’s texts for much of the week. Had Sebastian noticed? Would he be mad? Why did Kurt _care_?

Eventually the doorbell rang, and Kurt bounded down the stairs to answer the door. He saw Burt raise an eyebrow from where he sat in the living room, but ignored it.

Melanie stood on the other side of the door, smiling up at Kurt when he opened it.

“Hey,” she greeted him.

“Hey,” he answered quickly, nervously. He called back to his dad. “I’m leaving! Bye!”

He went out and followed Melanie to her car. He expected Sebastian to be sitting in the passenger seat, but was surprised to find it empty.

“Where’s Sebastian?” he asked once they’d both gotten into the car.

Melanie raised an eyebrow. “He hadn’t shown up at my house yet. Hopefully he’ll be there when we get back.”

Kurt nodded, trying to hide his inexplicable anxiety.

They drove back to the Brooks house almost completely in silence. When they arrived, Sebastian was indeed there, visible in the strong porch lights of Melanie’s house, leaning against his Audi, with a pair of dark Ray Bans perched on his head. Kurt felt his stomach knot.

Melanie parked and opened her door. Kurt, taking a deep breath, stepped out of the car. He and Melanie both walked towards Sebastian.

“Hey!” Melanie exclaimed, running to tackle Sebastian, pressing him against his car and hugging him.

Sebastian rolled his eyes, pulling his sunglasses out of his hair. “There you are,” he said, the irritation in his voice offset by his smile. “I fly in from New York, eat dinner with my parents and then rush here, per your instructions, only to find that you’re _gone_.”

Kurt still felt tense, and the nervousness increased when Sebastian looked right at him. “Guess you had more important things to do,” he remarked. “At least Hummel here doesn’t insist on being carried around by hand servants. I’d’ve been here all night.”

Kurt felt his apprehension dissolve, as easily as popping a bubble. Sebastian’s teasing but somehow fond voice was no different than it had been before. “I think hand servants are more up your alley,” Kurt countered.

Sebastian grinned. They shared eye contact for a moment. Then Sebastian turned to Melanie and asked, “So, where are we going tonight?”

Melanie smiled. “You’ll see,” she said.

Sebastian raised his eyebrows at Kurt, and Kurt shrugged back. Sebastian carelessly tossed the undoubtedly expensive sunglasses into his car, and without another word they got into Melanie’s car and were off.

…

 

After they’d been driving down Highway 65 for fifteen minutes, Sebastian spoke up. “Seriously, where the fuck are we going?”

Kurt looked at Melanie expectantly from where he sat in the passenger seat, because he too was very confused.

“Hold your horses,” Melanie replied, squinting through the windshield. “We’re almost there.”

Sure enough, within a few minutes, Melanie slowed down and flicked on her blinker, turning right onto a narrow road. Her high beams flashed across the street sign momentarily, but Kurt couldn’t make out the name. They drove a couple hundred feet down the road and then Melanie pulled over to the left- since there were no dividing lines and hardly enough room for two cars it was a simple feat- and turned off the engine. They sat in the dark for a moment.

“Um, Melanie,” Kurt said softly. “There’s nothing here.”

“I beg to differ,” she replied, unbuckling and climbing out of the car. Kurt glanced back to Sebastian, who looked equally confused, and then they both followed Melanie out of the car.

Mel had headed further away from the street, into what seemed to be a field. She paused once she reached the approximate middle, and then she lay down on the grass. Kurt and Sebastian walked slower than she had, eventually catching up and standing over her.

“Lie down, idiots,” she said. “We’re gonna look at the stars.”

After some grumbling and eye-rolling, the three were all lying on their backs, staring up at the sky. They formed a sort of triangle, their heads close to eachother and their bodies stretching out in different directions. While Kurt didn’t appreciate the grass stains he was undoubtedly going to find on his clothing, he had to admit that the view was incredible. Out there in the country, without an electric light in sight, hundreds of stars were visible, the hazy stripe of the Milky Way making its way across the sky.

Sebastian whistled slowly. “It’s not like this in New York,” he commented. “A million lights but hardly any stars.”

They were quiet for a while longer, staring at the multifaceted sky and listening to the noise of crickets and cicadas, until Kurt spoke. “Are we trespassing?”

“No,” Melanie replied. “There wasn’t even a fence. If you don’t hop a fence it’s not trespassing.”

Kurt snorted. “Will that stand in a court of law?”

“I don’t know,” Melanie said. “I’ve never been in court.”

“Not yet,” Sebastian remarked. Melanie jabbed him in the side. “Hey!”

“Shut up,” she told him.

They resumed their silence. Kurt almost wanted to close his eyes, because he felt so comfortable, the white noise of the buzzing insects lulling him into a sort of trance. The air was humid but not sticky, cool enough to be refreshing but not too cold. It could have been called a perfect night- that was how it felt, anyway. Simple, isolated, like the three of them were the only people on the planet and their only purpose was to enjoy the grandeur of the nighttime. Kurt felt a sort of inexplicable yet profound emotion take hold of him. It was the end of his childhood, the end of everything he’d ever known. He felt as though he were in a displaced eddy of time, a tiny pocket of never-ending night, stretching on forever just like the stars, the same sky he’d looked up at for his whole life.

Melanie reached out and grabbed both boys’ hands, and no action had ever felt more _right_. Then Kurt, maybe because he was intoxicated by the grass and the summer air, or maybe because he was sleep deprived, or maybe just because he _wanted_ to, dammit, reached out and found Sebastian’s hand and took it. For a moment it was stiff, but then it relaxed, gripping Kurt’s fingers.

Kurt almost wanted to state the perfection of the moment, but he didn’t want to break the spell. Melanie was the one who spoke.

“I’m gonna miss you bastards,” she told them.

Kurt smiled ruefully. “We’ll miss you too,” he replied, speaking for Sebastian too. He knew it was true.

No more words were needed, so they lay, fingers-locked, without speaking.

…

 

On Sunday morning Kurt was lying in bed on his laptop when his bedroom door opened without a knock. He looked up to see Rachel standing there, holding two Lima Bean to-go cups.

“I know you get easily confused,” he said, putting his eyes back on his computer screen, “but Finn’s room is the next one down.”

“I’m not here for Finn,” she replied meekly. “I’m here for you.”

“Well I’d prefer it if you left,” Kurt told her.

Rachel sighed, clearly distressed. “Kurt…please don’t be mad at me. I’m really sorry. I am. I shouldn’t have done what I did. I should have just trusted you. I just- we’re leaving in two weeks and I don’t want us to be in a fight.”

Kurt sighed. Rachel had actually apologized without prompting, which was impressive for her. Resigned, he closed his laptop and sat up. “Look,” he said. “I know that you care about me. And this time, you may have thought that you had my best interests at heart. But just _talk_ to me about something that’s bothering you, like a normal person. Don’t stage an intervention.”

“Well, Santana really pushed for the confrontation,” Rachel told him. “But, still. I understand.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. He didn’t really want to be mad at her any longer either. “Okay. Apology accepted.”

Rachel excitedly stepped forward, handing Kurt one of the cups. “Great!” she exclaimed, taking a seat next to him on the bed. “So, I see you’ve started to pack. What are you thinking so far as posters go? Because I’m not sure- is it uncool to have too many?”

Kurt sipped his coffee and listened to Rachel prattle on, content at having his friend back.

…

 

Sebastian lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He was in a mood.

He didn’t want to think about it, but he couldn’t avoid it. He felt lonely. He hated that word, “lonely.” It sounded so _needy_ , and if there’s anything Sebastian Smythe is not, it’s needy. He’s perfectly capable of taking care of himself, and of everything around him.

Except for this goddamned feeling.

He knew he wasn’t really alone. He could call up Melanie, or go downstairs and talk to his dad about the baseball game the previous day, or scroll through the contacts in his phone and find someone who was up for a little fun.

But that’s not what he wanted. For possibly the first time in his life, he didn’t want fun- or at least, not his usual kind of fun. In New York he’d shied away from the sort of good time he typically craved. Sure, he’d been busy between tours and lectures and school-sponsored alcohol-free “parties,” but that didn’t mean he hadn’t had ample opportunity to sneak off. Surely he could have found a club that accepted his ID. And there were plenty of cute and probably willing guys in the program itself that he could have lured off. He could have made it happen if he’d wanted to. But he hadn’t. Instead he’d spent the parties on the fringes, phone in hand, texting Hummel like he was some sort of _wallflower_. He’d hardly mingled, barely made an impression. He hadn’t sought out any no-strings-attached hook-ups. For once, he wanted strings. He wanted a web, a whole goddamn thread count, like the thousands of stars they could see the night before, stretching into forever. He didn’t want a blurry snapshot, but a whole photo album. A real story, not a Monday-morning recap.

A- dare he think it?- love story.

But instead there he lay there, in his room, trying to forget it all. Because it hurt to think about, hurt in that space in his chest where he was only occasionally reminded that he had a heart. He tried to forget, to ignore it, because he’d always been better off without emotion. He joked about what he could, and ignored the rest. That way, he was always safe.

But Kurt didn’t make him feel safe.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad you guys liked that last chapter. I'd also like to point out [this spectacular fanart](http://chrismydisneyprince.tumblr.com/post/77256891868/a-kurtbastian-ficrec-with-fanart-fic-a-new-way) made by [scifigeek14](http://archiveofourown.org/users/scifigeek14/pseuds/scifigeek14). If you guys are interested, I do have [a tumblr](http://thelegendofjenna.tumblr.com) if you want to direct questions or comments or whatever there, or read other fanfic that I don't have on AO3.  
> Anyway, thank you so much for reading and enjoy the chapter!

After wallowing in his unwanted feelings for a while, Sebastian called Melanie.

“Hey,” she answered.

“I want to get spectacularly drunk,” he told her.

She snorted. “How come?”

“Because drinking is fun? And I didn’t get much of a chance over the last week.”

“Fine,” Melanie agreed. “I’ll get my hands on some booze. I’m off work at eight, come by my house a while after?”

“I’ll be there,” Sebastian told her, then hung up.

…

 

Sebastian arrived at Melanie’s house that night and they holed up in her room until her parents went to sleep. Then Melanie reached into her closet and pulled out a full handle of vodka.

“Jesus,” Sebastian commented, mildly impressed. “Where’d you get that?” he asked, knowing fully well that her fake ID couldn’t fool most of the local liquor store cashiers.

“Danny bought it for me,” she explained. “He owed me a favor.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “Should I be concerned that your _drug dealer_ owed you a favor?”

Melanie ignored him, handing him the bottle and then rifling through her dresser doors and putting various drug paraphernalia into her pockets. Sebastian twisted the cap off of the bottle and made to take a sip, but Melanie reached out and gripped his wrist. “Oh, no you don’t,” she told him. “You’re not at a frat party and you’re going to retain some semblance of class. Get some soda to drink that with.”

Sebastian scoffed, but replaced the lid. He and Melanie headed downstairs, stopping by in the kitchen to get a cup and a few cans of soda, then heading out onto the back porch. They sat on the wooden slats under the porch light, settling in. Melanie packed her pipe and Sebastian poured Coke and vodka into a cup. They were silent as they partook in their individual vices. After a few swigs of his drink, Sebastian sighed contentedly. “I am so glad this is happening,” he commented.

Melanie raised an eyebrow, stretching her legs out. “Why were you so insistent about this, anyway?” she asked.

Sebastian fixed her with a dubious look. “Aren’t I always interested in being drunk?”

Melanie looked at him, trying to study his expression. “You just seemed…like you wanted it really badly. You weren’t like that last night. Why?”

Sebastian sighed, taking a long sip of his drink. “I don’t know,” he replied sarcastically. “Maybe because when I’m drunk I don’t have to think about shit and I have no responsibility for my actions!”

Melanie frowned, but didn’t push him anymore just yet.

Instead, she waited until he’d refilled his cup a few times. Once he was suitably intoxicated- and, admittedly, she was a lot further from sober too- she breached the topic again. “What aren’t you telling me?” she asked.

He shook his head vehemently. “Nope. I’m not gonna tell you.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Because I’ll regret it,” he answered, hiccupping.

Melanie crawled forward and sat on his lap, moving her face within an inch of his.

“Don’t you dare kiss me, Melanie Brooks,” he muttered. “I know you get horny when you’re high. I’ve never kissed a girl and I plan on keeping it that way.”

“I’m not gonna kiss you,” she told him, her breath hot and smoky on his face. “Why are you thinking about kissing?”

Sebastian swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Aren’t I always?”

Melanie shook her head slowly. “No…sex, yeah. You think about sex all the time, that’s true. But not kissing.”

Sebastian turned his head to the side, but it was hard to escape her when she was so close. Sebastian felt claustrophobic all of a sudden, hot and cornered and enclosed.

“Who do you want to kiss?” Melanie asked.

“Don’t be stupid,” he answered.

“Sebastian, what are you _afraid_ of?” she asked.

Sebastian brought his hands up to her shoulders and shoved her roughly away. “Hey!” she exclaimed angrily.

“Don’t push me, Mel,” he warned, crossing his arms and rotating away from her.

They were quiet for a few seconds. Melanie pushed her hair out of her eyes, and then whispered, “Seb, you know that you can trust me.”

“You’re high,” Sebastian said. “And I’m drunk, and nothing that we say now matters.”

Melanie blinked. “Then why are you so afraid of saying it?”

Sebastian shook his head. “Because…” he said, so softly it was difficult to hear. “Because saying it out loud makes it real.”

“Things need to be real,” Melanie told him. “That’s why they matter.” She made sense to her own ears but hoped that Sebastian would understand too.

Sebastian bit his lip, looking truly defenseless, and blinked a couple times. “I don’t want to.” He paused, taking a deep breath. Melanie waited. “Fuck, Mel. I don’t want to feel like this. I hate this kind of thing, I always have.”

“What?” Melanie asked softly.

Sebastian shook his head. “You know. Love, and all that bullshit.”

Melanie stared at him, her mouth slightly open. She spoke after a moment. “Is it… Kurt?”

Sebastian didn’t answer, but he didn’t need to. Melanie knew. Sebastian moved closer to her, leaning on her shoulder and closing his eyes. Speechless, Melanie put her arm around him and carded her fingers through his hair. They sat there, in silence except for Sebastian’s uneven breathing.

…

 

Melanie had a problem.

She didn’t want to meddle. She didn’t. But she couldn’t deny that she was a meddlesome person. It was her nature. She went up to sad-looking people in coffee shops and asked them what was wrong. She liked fixing problems, smoothing things out, putting things together. She liked making connections. She couldn’t help it.

But Sebastian would hate her. She could never betray Sebastian’s trust. She was perhaps the only person who truly had it. She wasn’t going to do that to him.

She thought all of this as she drank a mug of coffee, sitting at her desk and looking at Sebastian’s still-sleeping form on her bed. She wanted him to be happy, she really did. She’d known him since they were children, and that was all she had ever wanted. For Sebastian to finally be happy, to find a way for him to stop all of his negative emotions from building up and suffocating him. And if someone else could help him with that, was it really a crime to give them a little push towards eachother?

No. Melanie couldn’t do that to Sebastian after what he’d admitted to her.

She was regretfully resolved by the time Sebastian woke up. She had coffee and aspirin waiting for him. Maybe she was coddling him a little- she usually took the ‘your-hangover-your-problem’ stance- but she felt bad for him. He was confused, thrown off guard by his own emotions. So she was being extra nice to him. Subtly, that is.

Sebastian stayed at her house for a while, keeping her company while she made progress in packing. Her parents had offered several times to help her consolidate her things for the move to her college dorm, but she insisted she do it on her own. Partly because she wanted it to be something she did independently, and partly because she had particular things in her room that she didn’t want to chance her parents finding.

Sebastian eventually left, however, leaving Melanie to her bins of clothing and books- so many books- and various necessities.

When she got a call from Kurt asking if they could hang out, she readily agreed. Because he was her friend, and she wanted to spend time with him before the summer was over. It had nothing to do with the fact that she really, really wanted to meddle. Nothing like that.

…

 

Kurt and Melanie went to a pizzeria in town and bought a basket of fries to share, sitting on a ledge against the building that faced the parking lot. They chatted as they ate, commenting on the people they saw drive and walk by. Eventually a lull in conversation came, and Kurt spoke.

“Mel, you’ve, um…you’ve had a boyfriend.”

Melanie smirked. “Yes,” she confirmed.

Kurt nodded, swallowing a fry before speaking again. “What, uh, what was he like?”

Melanie swung her legs lazily, looking out at the parking lot, squinting in the sun. “He was…nice, smart, funny, caring. You know, the stuff you look for in a guy.”

Kurt nodded. “Right. And you two broke up.”

“Mm-hmm,” Melanie replied. “A little over a year ago.”

“Was it…I mean, who instigated it?”

Melanie sighed. “It was a joint decision, but I was pretty wrecked afterwards. I think he probably was too.”

Kurt hummed, picking at the basket of fries. “After you broke up,” he said, somewhat hesitantly. “I mean, were you interested in someone else right away? Or did you look for a relationship again pretty quickly?”

Melanie studied her friend. “You mean, a rebound?”

“Yeah,” Kurt said, shrugging. “Like a rebound.”

Melanie raised an eyebrow. “No, not really. Why? Are you rebounding?”

Kurt looked away. “I was just wondering if, you know, it would make _sense_ for me to…be interested in someone, hypothetically, just because I’m not over Blaine.”

Melanie thoughtfully ate a fry before responding. “Very little that has to do with love makes sense, Kurt.”

“Not love,” Kurt argued. “Just, you know, attraction. As a reaction to a breakup.”

“It’s been a while since your breakup,” Melanie pointed out. “You’ve improved a lot.”

“But I’m not over Blaine,” Kurt insisted.

Melanie shrugged. “What is ‘being over’ someone, anyway? He was your first love, right? That’s a big deal. And he dumped you pretty abruptly. Of course you’re still hurt about that. But that doesn’t mean that your feelings towards anyone else are invalid.”

Kurt swallowed. “It was hypothetical, anyway,” he said.

“Right,” Melanie agreed, playing along. She was fairly certain that, despite her vow not to meddle, she was getting all the info she needed anyway. She tried very hard not to show how elated she was, lest she raise Kurt’s suspicions.

“Come on,” she said, standing and taking their empty basket of fries towards a trash can. “Let’s go.”

…

 

Sebastian had never been more depressed.

Well, that probably wasn’t true. But he was really letting himself go. He’d just turned down a date, which nearly never happened. For all of his talk, Sebastian rarely got propositioned out of the blue if he didn’t make the effort first. Guys didn’t fall at his feet without him making the first move. He could lure them in once their interest was piqued, when they were drunk or horny, but no one was lining up at his door. So on the occasion that someone did actively pursue him, he never let that opportunity slip through his finger. Sure, maybe he employed a few subtle hard-to-get tactics first, but he eventually gave in. It felt good to be wanted.

But when a fellow club-going acquaintance had texted him to see if he was up for drinking, dancing and debauchery the following night, he lied and said he was in Toledo visiting family. Instead, he was spending his time wandering around his house pathetically, wearing the same sweatpants everyday, often forgoing his contacts- he wasn’t going out, anyway- and walking around wearing glasses, or just blurry-eyed. It was disgusting, but all Sebastian could do was wonder at how pitiful he was.

Wasn’t falling in love supposed to make you happy?

He knew he ought to call Mel. She was leaving for Maine in less than two weeks. She was his best friend and while he hated to admit it, he was going to miss her like crazy. Having her move from Westerville to Lima had been frustrating enough- he couldn’t imagine what being even further away would be like. He should be spending as much time with her as possible.

The problem was that she _knew_. Because he’d been stupid, and vulnerable, and she’d known that he would talk once he hit a certain blood alcohol level. And while she was probably the only person on the planet that he’d trust enough to tell, he still didn’t like the idea of being around her. He knew how terribly he was acting. He couldn’t stand to have her pity him. Poor stupid boy with a crush. God, he wanted to hit something. But he didn’t have the energy.

After a couple days, even his parents started noticing.

“Sebastian, are you coming down with something?” his mother asked over dinner. “You look awfully pale. And you haven’t left the house in days.”

“I’m fine, Mom,” he replied listlessly.

She pursed her lips, setting down her fork. “You know, you probably picked something up in New York. It’s always been such a dirty city. You should have picked Boston. Boston’s such a nice place.”

“New York is much cleaner and safer than it used to be,” Mr. Smythe commented. “And Sebastian has already made his decision about college.”

Mrs. Smythe sighed. “Well, all right. But let me make you some soup or something, sweetie.”

“I’m fine,” Sebastian repeated. “Just…tired.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t stay out so late with your friends,” she suggested.

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “You just pointed out that I haven’t left the house in days.”

Mrs. Smythe shrugged. “I know. I just worry about you, sweetie. I want you to be at your best.”

Sebastian didn’t reply.

On Thursday, Melanie called him. “Hey, I’m gonna go to a party tomorrow night, want to come?”

Sebastian, lying on his bed, pondered the ceiling. “In Lima?”

“Yeah.”

Sebastian rolled onto his side. “Nah. I think I might be getting sick.”

“You sure?” Melanie asked, sounding slightly concerned.

“Yeah,” Sebastian replied. “My mom’s been fawning over me. It’s fine.”

“Okay,” Melanie said, sighing. “Well, I’ll call you later, okay? Feel better.”

“Yeah,” Sebastian agreed tonelessly before hanging up. He blinked at his wall.

When his phone rang again a couple minutes later, he figured it was Mel, trying to convince him again. To his surprise, though, it wasn’t her name on the caller ID. It was Blaine’s.

 


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay, the wait is over, let's resolve that cliffhanger (perhaps in exchange for another one...?).  
> Also I love you guys for reading my story and being engaged by it and I am SO THANKFUL but I also want to preemptively ask for no character hate in the comments? If possible, please. :)  
> Enjoy!

Sebastian stared in confusion and Blaine’s name before answering his phone. “Hello?”

“Hi, Sebastian,” Blaine replied.

“Um, hi,” Sebastian said. “What’s up?”

“How are you?” Blaine asked. His tone seemed nervous and he was clearly deflecting. Sebastian was confused, considering how the last time they’d talked, Blaine had told Sebastian off for hitting on him and basically implied he no longer wanted anything to do with him.

“Actually, I’m sick,” Sebastian told him. Maybe if he kept saying it, it would become true.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Blaine said. “Is it-“

“Blaine,” Sebastian interrupted. “Why did you call me?”

He heard Blaine take a deep breath. “I was just, uh, wondering. I mean, I’ve heard some things.”

“Nothing good, I hope,” Sebastian quipped automatically.

“Ha,” Blaine laughed uncomfortably. “No, actually…I was just wondering if you’ve been spending time…with Kurt?”

Sebastian swallowed. “What’s it to you?” he asked, almost harshly. “Didn’t you break up with him?”

“No,” Blaine said quickly. “I mean, yes I did, but that doesn’t- have you?”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “So what if I have?”

“Is that a confirmation?” Blaine asked.

“Why do you need to know?” Sebastian challenged.

Blaine sighed. “I just…I haven’t really spoken to Kurt since the break up. But I still care about him. I want to know what’s going on in his life.”

Sebastian was pretty damn fed up by that point. “Then why the hell are you calling me? Jesus, Blaine. Go talk to Kurt yourself if you want to know what he’s doing.”

There was a moment of silence before Blaine said, “Yeah. Wow, you’re right.”

“Of course I am,” Sebastian snapped. “Don’t come to me with your problems.”

“Thanks, Sebastian,” Blaine said, apparently oblivious to the venom in Sebastian’s voice. “Really, you’re right. I’ll, um, talk to you later. Bye.”

Sebastian hung up his phone and then dropped it onto the carpet. He rolled onto his back so he could glare at the ceiling again.

Somehow, talking to Blaine had made him feel even worse.

…

 

“You should go talk to that guy,” Melanie said, nudging Kurt with her elbow and nodding in the direction of an admittedly attractive guy who was playing beer pong across the room. Kurt thought he vaguely recognized the guy, like maybe he’d gone to McKinley but graduated a couple years ago.

“He’s not gay,” Kurt replied tonelessly, then took a sip from his can of soda.

“You’ll never know if you don’t try,” Melanie pointed out.

“He’s way drunk, anyway,” Kurt replied, and then fixed Mel with a scrutinizing stare. “Why are you being so pushy? Why don’t _you_ go talk to him?”

Melanie shrugged easily. “I’m leaving town in a week, and I don’t just want a hook-up, so talking to guys seems pretty useless.”

Kurt narrowed his eyes. “I’m leaving town too. Why should I hit on guys if you’re exempt?”

Melanie’s expression was almost suspiciously innocent. “Flirting is harmless fun,” she told him.

“Your hypocrisy baffles me,” Kurt said simply, casting his eyes around the crowded room. He’d readily agreed to going to the party, which was largely populated with Lawrence Prep girls, McKinley students, and high school graduates. He’d wanted to get out of his room, which was feeling more and more temporary, and spend as much time as possible with Mel, but at this point he just wasn’t in a partying mood. He was considering asking Melanie if she just wanted to go back to his house and watch movies or something, because his indifference was on the verge of boredom.

“Come on,” she said, tugging on his sleeve. “I wanna smoke. Come outside with me?”

Kurt followed her since he didn’t want to be left alone, and they went out into the backyard. Groups of people were gathered around, smoking or making out on lawn chairs. Kurt found himself a chair and pulled it far away from the other people, then sat down. Melanie was content to stand next to him, lighting her cigarette. They were silent for a few moments while Melanie smoked, until Kurt heard footsteps behind him. Turning slightly in his chair, he saw the silhouette of a girl in a dress and heels approaching them.

“Hey,” the girl called out. “You gotta light?”

Melanie turned to face the girl and nodded slightly, fishing her lighter out of her pocket. Kurt, however, was busy examining the dark shape of the girl and processing the voice he’d just heard.

“Santana?” he asked.

Santana looked down at him, able to make out his face in the light shining from the back of the house. “Hey, Lady Face,” she greeted him.

Kurt stood up to face her and glared. “If you call me that again, I will hurt you. I have no qualms about hitting a girl.”

“Ooh,” Santana replied, smirking. “Feisty.”

“So,” Melanie spoke up, clearing her throat. “You two know eachother?”

“Yep,” Santana answered, holding up the cigar she’d had in her hand so Melanie could light it. After tasting it she removed it from her lips and added, “Glee club buddies.”

“I’m still mad about the intervention, Santana,” Kurt said sharply. “Rachel told me it was your idea.”

“Please,” Santana rolled her eyes. “You think I came up with that? Only a Berry-brand drama queen could have staged an intervention.”

Melanie laughed slightly, and both Kurt and Santana turned to look at her.

“What?” Kurt asked.

Melanie shrugged, flicking her cigarette. “Just…you know, I thought Sebastian’s Warbler stories were the craziest show choir drama that existed anywhere, but apparently I was wrong.”

Santana raised one of her carefully plucked eyebrows. “You know Sebastian?”

Melanie smirked. “You could say that. Don’t worry, though, I’m not here to corrupt Kurt. Seb’s a cocky, selfish bastard. He may be my friend but Kurt here’s my boy.”

Kurt stared at her. “Your _boy_? Are you high?”

Melanie didn’t answer him, simply rolling her eyes and taking a drag.

Kurt sighed, turning to Santana. “What’re you doing here, anyway?”

Santana shrugged, breathing in her cigar. “Puckerman brought me. He’s around here somewhere. Pretty lame, though.” She cast a look back to the house. “I guess I’m seeing the sights while I still can. I can’t wait for college parties.”

“Where are you going next year?” Kurt asked, honestly curious.

“I’ve got a scholarship to Louisville,” she replied nonchalantly. “We’ll see how it goes.”

“I love your shoes,” Melanie commented, gesturing at Santana’s heels.

“Thanks!” Santana replied. “I like them because they’re super hot but I can also kick ass in a fight while wearing them.”

Melanie and Santana continued to talk, and Kurt stood there with his arms crossed, somewhat concerned by how well they were getting along. After a while, a voice from close to the house called out, “Lopez! Come on!”

Santana rolled her eyes, glancing back. “That’s Puck. I guess we’re bouncing.” She said goodbye to Melanie, then turned to Kurt. “Take care of yourself, boy,” she told him. “And be careful around that Sebastian character. I know he’s hot as hell but he’s also a jackass, which coming from me is saying something. I’ll see you around.”

She half-waved to them, cigar in hand, and then turned back towards the house.

Kurt and Melanie left the party not long after that, as it had lost most of the appeal it had previously held. They went back to Melanie’s house and made macaroni and cheese in the kitchen, shushing eachother occasionally as Melanie’s parents were asleep upstairs, and erupting into choking giggles when Melanie accidentally dropped a saucepan and caused a booming, echoing clang. Once they’d eaten far too much and rinsed their bowls they ran upstairs, silently racing, and Kurt wrenched Melanie’s door open and jumped onto her bed. She appeared in the doorway, breathing heavily and swearing. Kurt laughed as she closed the door and collapsed next to him.

They were quiet for a few moments as they caught their breath, and then they began to talk. They talked about the boxes in Melanie’s room, and the matching ones in Kurt’s, and how soon they were leaving and how unbelievably fast everything was happening.

“I’m just…anxious, I guess,” Kurt sighed. “I mean, I love New York, and I’m so excited to be there. I feel like my whole life, my past has kind of defined me, but now I’m moving away and I’ll be in a new city and I can be anything I want.” He paused, then continued in a more subdued tone. “But I’m afraid that when I get there I’ll be overwhelmed and everyone at school will be better than me and I’ll just clam up and never achieve anything.”

Melanie shook her head, smiling. She scooted forward so they were face to face. “Kurt Hummel,” she said deploringly. “I admit that I haven’t known you long. I only met you by chance in a coffee shop- how long ago? Jesus, like two months ago. But I _know_ that you would never do anything like that. You’re just so…driven. And you know what you want. And you’re not going to stand anyone taking that away from you. You’re gonna be a fucking star, okay? In whatever you choose to do.”

Kurt smiled, blushing. “Thanks,” he said. “But…I’ve just seen so little of the world. I feel really…sheltered. One-dimensional.”

Melanie rolled her eyes. “You’ve been through more than any entitled rich kid set on becoming a famous actor. Take that from an entitled rich kid.”

Kurt snorted. “Duly noted.” He tilted his head as he looked at his friend. “You’re gonna be great too, you know,” he told her. “Even if you’re an entitled rich girl. You’re gonna go places.”

“I know,” Melanie agreed, shrugging. Kurt laughed.

Eventually they got too tired to keep talking, so they got ready for bed and crawled under the sheets, drifting off to the sound of eachother’s breathing.

…

 

On Monday afternoon, Kurt found himself home alone, both parents at work and Finn at Rachel’s, or Puck’s, or somewhere- Kurt hadn’t bothered asking. He enjoyed the calm and quiet of it, so he took the opportunity to stretch out on the living room couch in comfy clothes, with a bowl of baby carrots, some ranch dressing, and the latest copy of Vogue. He flipped through the glossy pages, bookmarking any looks he wanted to try and emulate, being careful not to drip ranch on any of the photos.

He was about a third of the way through the magazine when the doorbell rang. Kurt sat up, setting down Vogue and smoothing his yoga pants before making his way to the door. He figured it was the mailman or some Jehovah’s Witnesses or something.

What he wasn’t expecting was to open the door and find Blaine standing on his front porch.

 


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I should be studying for midterms but instead I'm posting this)

Kurt felt like the air had been knocked out of him.

“Kurt,” Blaine said, slightly hesitantly, when Kurt didn’t greet him. “Uh, hi.”

Kurt swallowed and blinked. If the way his heart had seized up when he’d first seen Blaine hadn’t been so agonizingly realistic, he would have thought that maybe he was dreaming. Maybe he’d dozed off on the couch and was drooling on his fashion magazine.

But no. Blaine Anderson was there, in front of him, in the flesh.

“I…” Kurt felt like his throat had closed off. Why was his body reacting this way? He wanted to be put-together and in control. The _last_ thing he wanted was to be a flustered mess in front of his ex. He cleared his throat, determined to act like a normal human being who was in no way thrown off by the fact that the once love-of-his-life had appeared on his doorstep out of the blue. “Hello, Blaine…how can I help you?”

Blaine swallowed and Kurt couldn’t help but glance at the way his Adam’s apple bobbed. “Can we talk?” Blaine asked.

Kurt nodded. It might have felt nice to say no and slam the door in Blaine’s face, but his curiosity won out over his dramatic flair. He stepped forward onto the porch and pulled the door closed behind him. He faced Blaine, crossing his arms over his chest instinctively. “What do you want to talk about?” he asked. He didn’t think there was a whole lot more for them to say to eachother.

Blaine sighed, running a hand over his perfectly-smooth hair. “I just- first, I want to apologize. For not talking to you all summer. I shouldn’t have just ignored you, I-“

“It’s okay,” Kurt interrupted. “I…haven’t really been in the mood to talk to you, anyway.”

Blaine glanced down, pursing his lips. “Understandably,” he muttered. He looked up to meet Kurt’s eyes again, and it felt surreal to Kurt- seeing those honey-hazel eyes in person for the first time in weeks, after having dreams both graced and haunted by them. “Look, Kurt, I know this probably sounds ridiculous, but I never wanted to hurt you. I loved you, so much, and I- I still care about you. I understand if you never want to see me again, but I just…I couldn’t let you go to New York without knowing that I still…I mean, I would be honored if at any point you’d want to be friends again. Because you’re incredible, Kurt, and I miss you. I miss talking to you. I don’t know if I can fully explain why I broke up with you, but I still really care about you.”

Blaine’s eyes were sincere and misty by the end of his little speech, and Kurt could feel tears welling up in his own eyes. “It’s okay,” he told Blaine, even if that weren’t quite true. “It’s- I understand, now, what you said. About people changing, I mean. I’ve…given it a lot of thought over this summer and…even though it hurts, I understand.” Kurt swallowed thickly. “And…it still hurts, but…I miss you too. And maybe, after a while…I mean, I want to be friends too.”

Blaine smiled, his expression bittersweet. “Thank you, Kurt.”

Kurt wiped at his eyes as they started to overflow, laughing slightly. “I’m sorry, I-“

“Don’t apologize,” Blaine interrupted him, laughing too. Once Kurt had his crying under control, Blaine cleared his throat and spoke again. “So, um, Rachel said that you guys were leaving the 26th?”

“My flight’s on the 25th,” Kurt told him.

Blaine nodded. “Are you guys going to have any sort of, you know, goodbye party?”

Kurt shrugged. “We talked a little bit about having a dinner or something.”

“Do you think, um, could I come?” Blaine asked carefully.

Kurt exhaled, smiling slightly. “Yeah, sure. Definitely.”

“Great,” Blaine replied. “Just, let me know. Text me, or something.”

Kurt nodded. “Of course.”

Blaine shrugged, semi-awkwardly. “I guess I’d, um, better get going.”

“Okay.”

Blaine turned and stepped off the porch, then paused and turned around. “Bye, Kurt. I’ll see you later.”

“Bye,” Kurt answered, then watched as Blaine headed for where his car was parked on the street. Before he got in and drove off, Kurt went back inside.

…

 

Kurt paced around the house aimlessly, full of confused, emotional energy, until he finally decided he couldn’t stand to be alone anymore. Melanie had quit her job at the Lima Bean since she was leaving town soon, so Kurt no longer had to worry about whether she was working or not. He hopped in his car and drove towards her house, hoping she’d be there. He arrived and made his way up to the porch, ringing the doorbell.

Melanie opened the door after a moment, and she looked pleasantly surprised. “Kurt! What are you doing here?”

“I just-“ Kurt began, but paused when Sebastian appeared behind Melanie. Sebastian was there? Had his car been in the driveway? Kurt, in his haste, hadn’t even noticed. He cleared his throat. “Um, I wanted to talk to you?”

“Come on in,” Melanie told him, her voice tinged with concern. “Let’s talk.”

Kurt stepped inside, letting the merciful air conditioning envelope him while Melanie closed the door. Sebastian was leaning against a table in the front room, his arms crossed and one eyebrow slightly raised. Kurt swallowed. He felt like all of the pent-up energy that had propelled him there had hit a wall when he’d seen Sebastian, and as a result he was experiencing internal whiplash.

“What’s up?” Melanie asked, turning to look at Kurt. He looked back at her.

He didn’t really _want_ to talk about Blaine in front of Sebastian. He still wasn’t sure where he and Seb stood, but he felt like unresolved ex-boyfriend feelings were _not_ the kind of thing Sebastian enjoyed hearing about. Then again, he couldn’t really ask him to leave the room, or anything. He’d been there first.

Kurt took a deep breath, facing Melanie. “Blaine showed up at my front door today.”

Melanie blinked at him, her mouth falling open. “Shit,” she muttered. “Well, what the hell did he say?” she shook her head, curls swinging back and forth. “Come on,” she grabbed him by the elbow and led him to the den. To his surprise, Sebastian trailed after them, standing in the doorway when Kurt and Melanie sat on the couch.

“So what did he say?” she asked again.

Kurt shrugged. “Well, he…apologized for not talking to me since the breakup. And he said that…he still cared about me, even if he didn’t actually _love_ me like he used to, and he wanted to talk again and still be friends in the future if I ever wanted that.”

“Did you slap him?” Melanie asked, leaning towards him excitedly.

“No!” Kurt exclaimed. “Why would I do that?”

“I don’t know,” Melanie shrugged. “I’ve never gotten to slap an ex and I thought I could live vicariously through you.” Kurt snorted. “Anyway, what did _you_ say?”

“I said that I wanted to be friends again too, eventually.”

“Did you tell him that you wrote his phone number on the wall of a sleazy gay club?”

Kurt covered his face in his hands. “Oh, god. No. That was terrible.”

“Shut up,” Melanie told him. “That was fantastic and you know it. What he doesn’t know can’t hurt him.”

Kurt shook his head, laughing despite himself. He looked Melanie in the eye. “But, I mean…do you think I did the right thing, agreeing with him?”

Melanie tilted her head. “Kurt…you should do whatever you want. And from my standpoint…well, I don’t know anything about the guy, except that you really loved him and he used to really love you too. And when he broke up with you, I mean, it sucked, but he didn’t _wrong_ you at all. I just want you to be happy. And if being friends with him will make you happy, then it’s definitely the right choice.”

Kurt let out a sigh of relief, feeling much lighter than he had before. “Thanks, Mel.”

“Of course,” she replied, leaning forward to hug him. When they pulled apart, she said, “Hey, do you want to stay for dinner? My parents are going out so Seb and I were going to cook. Well, mostly I was going to cook, because he’s terrible at following directions and very good at burning himself. It would be great if you stayed. With your help the meal might actually be edible.”

Kurt laughed, wiping at the slight moisture in his eyes. “Yeah, sure,” he agreed. Melanie stood up and he followed suit, and only then did he realize that Sebastian wasn’t leaning against the doorframe anymore. He wondered at what point during the conversation he’d left the room.

 

Melanie’s parents stopped by the house in the early evening long enough to wave hello to the teenagers, change into dinner attire, and leave together in Mr. Brooks’ Mercedes Benz. Once they were gone the three adolescents began to make their own dinner. Sebastian was delighted at not having to help now that Kurt was staying, so he sat on the kitchen table and watched the other two prepare food. They were making penne pasta with onions, bell peppers and Italian sausage. Melanie and Kurt chatted idly while they got out all of the ingredients and began preparing them. At one point Melanie glanced behind her, then turned away from the stove and looked all around the kitchen.

“Kurt?” she asked hesitantly. “Do you know where Sebastian went?”

Kurt glanced around, realizing that the other boy was no longer in the room. “No, I didn’t even notice that he’d left.”

Melanie let out a shaky breath. “Oh, shit.”

Kurt looked at her strangely. “What?”

Melanie sighed. “So, ever since we were kids, Seb and I have had this game. We’ve both always had big houses, and whenever we ended up alone in them, one of us would try to sneak off and hide, then scare the other one.” Melanie twirled a strand of her hair nervously. “It’s always been kind of unfair because I’m much more easily scared, but I got him _really_ good last month, and now he’s probably going to get me back.”

Kurt stared at her, recalling the way she’d jumped every couple minutes when they’d seen that terrible horror movie at the drive-in. He felt rather sorry for her.

“I’ll let you know if I see him,” he offered, pretty uselessly.

Melanie sighed, turning back to the sausages that were heating in a pan. “Thanks. It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”

They continued preparing the meal in silence. After a little while, Melanie sighed.

“I should just go face the music,” she said. “I need to go to the garage anyway.”

“Good luck,” Kurt told her, half-amused.

Steeling herself to be jumped out at, Melanie left the room.

…

 

Sebastian had spent a _whole weekend_ at his house, which was the first time that had occurred in years. He’d found that once he hit a certain level of patheticness, it was hard to rise out of it. Finally, though, Melanie had convinced him to come to her house on Monday. And then that had been spoiled by having Kurt show up, talking about _Blaine_ of all things.

So Sebastian was damned if he wasn’t going to take advantage of it.

Sure, he’d originally sneaked out of the kitchen so he could have his revenge on Melanie. But then she’d left the house, and Sebastian realized what a golden opportunity he had.

He watched through the crack in one of the kitchen doors as Kurt chopped up an onion. When he scooped up the pieces of it in his hand and turned his back, heading for the stove, Sebastian slipped in through the door and hid just inside the pantry, holding his breath and listening to Kurt. Kurt was chopping something else up, and when Sebastian heard footsteps again he risked it and ducked out of the pantry. Kurt was in front of the stove, dumping chopped-up bits of a red bell pepper into a skillet.

 _Perfect_.

Sebastian lunged forward and grabbed Kurt’s shoulders. Kurt screamed bloody murder, whipping around. He gaped, eyes wide, at Sebastian’s expression of amused disbelief.

“Jesus, Hummel,” he said, grinning widely. “I knew you had a pair of lungs on you, but _that_ …”

“Sebastian…Smythe…” Kurt managed between breaths.

“I got you _so_ good,” Sebastian said proudly. Only then did he realize that one of his hands was still on Kurt’s shoulder, and he pulled it back.

Kurt, whose expression of shock was turning to something more malevolent, held up the knife he’d been chopping vegetables with and warned, “I’m holding a knife, I’d be careful if I were you.”

Sebastian’s lips curled into a smirk. “I’d like to see you try something. ‘Intimidating’ isn’t your color, Kurt.”

Kurt’s eyes flashed. “Is that a challenge?”

Sebastian shrugged. “If you’re up for it.”

That’s when Kurt stepped forward, causing Sebastian to move back, avoiding the knife that Kurt was still holding in front of him. “Oh, Kurt,” he purred as he continued to be forced backwards. “You don’t have it in you to hurt me.”

“Really?” Kurt asked, and Sebastian felt the edge of the counter hit his back. “It looks like you’ve got nowhere else to go, Smythe,” Kurt commented.

Kurt could feel an energy between them, their playful, teasing words eradicating the adrenaline that he’d received from the scare, but making his heart pound for another reason entirely. It was electric and alive and he knew, by looking into Sebastian’s eyes, that they both felt it.

“Uh, you guys okay?”

Both boys’ heads snapped to look at the doorway, where Melanie was standing, looking slightly concerned. “I heard someone scream,” she went on, “and now Kurt’s brandishing a knife.”

Kurt quickly reached past Sebastian to set the knife on the counter. He turned and went to stir the skillet, the spell between Sebastian and him broken. He half-listened as Sebastian told Melanie that he’d jumped out at Kurt.

“Okay,” Melanie said, still sounding unsure. “Well, anyway, who wants to be fancy?” she held out a bottle of white wine, which she must have gotten from the garage. “I’ve managed to ignore all of my parents’ rambling about wine, so I’m not sure what you’re supposed to drink with penne, but frankly I don’t give a fuck.”

They finished making dinner fairly quickly, then took their pasta and wine out to the living room, where they sat on the carpet and talked as they ate. Kurt found that whenever his eyes caught Sebastian’s he was reminded vividly of the bizarre moment they’d had in the kitchen, so after a few times he made sure to avoid the other boy’s eyes.

 


	31. Chapter 31

Carole had the following day off, so she made lunch for Kurt and Finn. They all sat at the table, talking idly as they ate grilled cheese and soup. At one point Finn looked out the window, observing the sky, and said, “I think it’s gonna rain.”

Kurt, too, looked through the window. It had been getting extremely humid, the air heavy the way it often was before a summer downpour. Rainstorms had been oddly few and far between that summer. Kurt looked at the off-white clouds hovering at the horizon, and couldn’t help but agree with Finn.

…

 

Kurt had made a quick trip to the store to pick up shampoo, and on his drive back home, a raindrop hit his windshield.

Then another. And another. Suddenly, it was raining.

Without really thinking about it, Kurt turned into a parking lot for the park he was passing. He turned off his engine and watched the drops splatter on his windows.

He took out his phone and called Melanie. “Hello?” she answered.

“It’s raining,” he said.

She laughed. “You’re very observant.”

“Are you at your house?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Meet me at Faurot Park,” Kurt instructed.

To her credit, Melanie didn’t ask why. “Sebastian’s with me,” she said.

“The more the merrier,” Kurt told her, shrugging.

“Okay, we’ll be there soon.”

Kurt hung up his phone, set it on the passenger seat next to the plastic grocery bag that contained his shampoo, and got out of the car.

It wasn’t raining that hard, but it was still a steady drizzle. Kurt wasn’t really sure what he was doing. He was a big fan of snow, but not so much of rain. He usually didn’t like getting wet- he worked too hard on his hair and clothes to enjoy it. But now, it was as though he couldn’t help himself. He was like a kid splashing in a puddle. It was still near sixty degrees outside, so he wasn’t even uncomfortably cold as he stood there and let his T-shirt get slowly dampened.

Melanie’s car pulled into the parking lot within ten minutes. Melanie stepped out of her car, looking at Kurt with a confused expression. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail, a few strands loose around her face. Sebastian got out of the passenger seat, also looking suitably puzzled.

“What are we doing?” Melanie called over the pitter-patter of the rain.

Kurt threw his arms out in an exaggerated shrug. “I don’t know!” he exclaimed.

Melanie’s quizzical expression slowly turned into a smile, and then she laughed, running towards Kurt. She practically knocked him over, and then grabbed his hands. She pulled him further from his car and they began to spin, unstable on the damp asphalt, Melanie’s ponytail flying behind her. They slowed and stopped, vision still tilting, and Melanie stumbled about, trying to get her balance.

“Are you guys crazy?” Sebastian asked, half-amused.

Kurt looked at him through the sheen of rain that surrounded him. Sebastian met his gaze, waiting. Kurt cocked his head to the side. “Maybe,” he said coyly. “You want to join us?”

Sebastian rolled his eyes, but couldn’t keep himself from smiling.

“Come on!” Melanie exclaimed, taking off towards the baseball fields on the far edge of the parking lot, slipping in her wet flip flops. Kurt turned to Sebastian, shrugged, and then ran after Mel. After a moment, Sebastian followed.

The rain became heavier as they ran around the soggy field, chasing eachother and yelling, two often ganging up on the other, tackling one another to the mud and grass. Melanie took her hair down and it whipped around her head, heavy curls clumping together in strands. Kurt was dressed for a casual day at home, but even so, he normally would have been disgusted by the state of his clothes-caked with mud, absolutely drenched. Sebastian’s grin got wider as time went on, and he continually had to push his hair out of his eyes. It was the most ridiculous, childish thing Kurt had done in as long as he could remember- but he also wasn’t sure if he’d ever felt so carefree. At one point he looked over at Sebastian, who had drops of water sliding down his nose and dripping off his chin, who looked so much more open and lighthearted and human than he normally did, and Kurt was filled with the overwhelming desire to kiss him. To grab his face and press their lips together, in the rain, as cliché as it gets. Kurt shook his head, trying to get the insane notion out. He was so full of bizarre energy…hell, he’d probably kiss Mel. He just wanted to somehow express how _alive_ he felt.

So instead, he screamed.

…

 

The storm, after it had thundered and poured, eventually tapered off, leaving Kurt, Melanie and Sebastian standing in a muddy baseball field as weak sunlight filtered through the dissipating clouds.

“You know what?” Melanie commented, her chest still heaving from all of the running and sliding they’d done. “I am really thirsty. And hungry. Let’s get something to eat.”

Kurt laughed. “I’m not walking into any restaurant like this,” he said, gesturing to the wet clothes hanging off of his body.

“Usually Hummel’s too fashion-forward, but I’m with him on this one,” Sebastian agreed.

Kurt pushed his hair back from his forehead. “Well, my house is like five minutes away. We could stop by there and clean up or something.”

Melanie put her hands on her hips. “That sounds perfect,” she said.

Sebastian shrugged. “I’m down.”

So they trudged back to the parking lot and got into their cars- after Melanie pulled out a blanket and some towels from her trunk, leftover from her picnic at the beach with Kurt, to lay down on their upholstery- and followed Kurt back to the Hummel-Hudson residence.

Melanie had been there before but Kurt found himself slightly apprehensive about Sebastian’s opinion of the house- not that he _should_ for God’s sake, because who cared what Sebastian thought? Right?

Seb didn’t have any comments, so it seemed when they arrived. They walked into the house and Kurt told his friends how to get to his room, so they bounded up the stairs after carefully taking off their mud-caked shoes. After they’d run upstairs, Kurt poked his head into the living room to see Carole on her laptop.

“Hey,” he said to her, and she looked up at him, smiling. “I was just out with some friends in the rain, and they came back here to clean up before we go get something to eat, is that okay?”

Carole looked a little confused, but she nodded. “Sure thing, sweetie. What were you doing in the rain?” She seemed to have noticed his wet and disheveled appearance.

Kurt shrugged. “Just enjoying the storm. We’ll be out of here pretty quickly.” With that he turned and headed upstairs.

Finn was standing in the hallway, looking very confused. “Kurt, did-“

“Melanie and Sebastian are here,” Kurt cut him off. “Don’t worry about it.” He went into his room, leaving Finn behind.

“Hey,” Kurt said as he closed the door behind him. Melanie and Sebastian were standing in the middle of his room. “Do you guys want to shower, or borrow clothes or anything?”

“That would be awesome,” Melanie told him. Sebastian shrugged noncommittally.

“Okay,” Kurt said, thinking. “We only have two showers, so-“

“Mel and I can shower together,” Sebastian offered, shrugging. “We’ve done it before.”

Kurt weighed his options. In all honesty, he wanted to get in and out of his house quickly, before too many questions were asked about the fact that Sebastian Smythe was in his room. “Okay,” he agreed. “You guys can use this one.” He gestured the bathroom that adjoined to his room. “Make sure you lock both doors, though, Finn’s room has a door too. And if you could maybe not mention this to my stepmom, that would be great.”

They agreed, so Kurt got them towels and then made his way to the master bathroom, where he took a quick shower himself. Kurt changed into new jeans and a Henley and then headed back to his room. Melanie was sitting on his bed, a towel wrapped around her body, her wet hair up in a bun. Kurt couldn’t help but laugh when he saw her.

“Sorry,” he said. “I just never expected to have a naked girl on my bed.”

Melanie smirked. “Not naked,” she corrected, opening the towel slightly to show off her bra. “My other clothes are hanging up in the bathroom. Just find me some shorts and a t-shirt to put on, yeah?”

So Kurt did. He also managed to find some clothing that he figured Sebastian wouldn’t bitch about too much. They actually had strikingly similar builds, so he wasn’t worried about the fit. Sebastian exited the bathroom a couple minutes later, as Kurt and Mel were laughing about the awkward fit of Kurt’s clothes on her. Sebastian had a towel slung loosely around his hips, and raised an eyebrow at them.

“Please tell me you’re wearing underwear,” Kurt said.

Sebastian scoffed. “Calm down, Hummel. A little nudity never hurt anyone.” He smirked at Kurt’s horrified expression. “But I am. So can you give me something to wear? Preferably something that could be found in the men’s section?”

Kurt didn’t even bother to be offended as he handed Sebastian some clothes. Finally the three of them were ready to go. They headed back downstairs, and Kurt was relieved to see that Finn wasn’t around. They were nearly to the front door when Kurt heard his name called out- by his dad.

Kurt sighed. “You guys go on,” he told Melanie and Sebastian. “I’ll be right there.”

The two left through the front door, and Kurt walked into the kitchen, where he’d heard his father’s voice come from. “Hi, Dad. Back from the shop?”

Burt nodded. His arms were crossed, and he was leaning against the table. “So, I hear that you had some friends over unexpectedly?”

“Yeah,” Kurt said. “We just, um, needed to dry off after being in the rain. We’re leaving now, though.”

“Finn told me the names of your friends. Isn’t Sebastian the kid who harassed you earlier this year?”

Kurt sighed. “Look, Dad, it’s a lot more complicated than you know. Than _anyone_ knows. But it’s not a big deal.”

Burt looked at his son critically. “When they walked by I noticed Melanie wearing one of your shirts.”

“Their clothes were wet,” Kurt explained hastily. “I just-“

“I don’t know, Kurt,” Burt interrupted. “Having people over without asking, including someone who has caused a lot of grief for this family, having them change into your clothes, I don’t like it.”

“Well, guess what, Dad?” Kurt finally snapped, fed up with the whole situation. “You don’t have to like it. I’m an adult, I am capable of making my own decisions and having my own thoughts. Now, people are waiting on me, so if you’ll excuse me.”

“Kurt!” Burt said sternly as Kurt turned around and headed for the door. “Come back here, we are not done talking. So long as you live under my roof-“

Kurt didn’t get to hear the rest of his father’s sentence, since he’d shut the front door and was heading for Melanie’s car. He opened the back door and hopped in. “Let’s go,” he instructed Melanie, and she started the engine without asking any questions.

…

 

When Kurt returned home a couple hours later, his father was waiting in the living room. Carole and Finn were nowhere to be seen.

Kurt was the first to speak when he walked in. “I’m sorry,” he blurted out, fast but sincere. “I shouldn’t have walked out on you like that.”

While the rebellion had felt good at first, as time went on Kurt found regret settling in his stomach, and getting milkshakes with Melanie and Sebastian hadn’t been very fun when he’d had guilt weighing him down.

Burt nodded, then gestured for Kurt to sit down on the couch. Kurt did so gingerly.

“Kurt,” he began. “I want to apologize too. I know I was being a little rough on you. But I also want you to think through what’s appropriate before you do things. And I also want you to remember that everything I do is to try and protect you. I know that you’re eighteen now, and you’re going to go off and live on your own in a couple weeks. And I know you’re a smart kid. You’re a good judge of character, too. I admit I don’t understand all the choices you make, but I want to trust you. And I want you to know that when you’re in the real world, as an adult, the choices you make matter. You have to think about making grown-up choices. You need to be sure about what you do, and not make it about petty things.”

Kurt was a little confused by some of what his dad had said- by making amends with Sebastian, wasn’t _he_ the one rising above petty things?- but he didn’t want to argue anymore, so he nodded. “I know, Dad. And…I am sure of what I’m doing.”

Burt inclined his head. “Okay, kiddo. If you say so.”

Kurt hugged his father before retreating to his room, glad to have smoothed things over. He knew he shouldn’t have pushed so hard, shouldn’t have acted so childish when he had so little time left with his family. But later that night when he went into his bathroom and saw Sebastian Smythe’s jeans hanging up in his shower, he couldn’t help but laugh at the entire situation.

 


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone!  
> As a university student who lives right on Washington Square Park, I was fortunate enough to be able to watch some of Glee's filming last week. I couldn't stay long enough to get any pictures with the cast, but just standing around in a crowd of gleeks and watching the actors film was pretty spectacular.  
> So there is my Glee-related news (also I'm in Ohio for spring break, so I guess there's a tenuous connection there), let's get right on ahead to the chapter. Enjoy!

When Blaine broke up with Kurt, Kurt lost a lot of things. He lost the close brand of friendship that comes from being in a relationship, the unconditional comfort and security of always having someone there for him. He’d lost the romantic gestures that used to grace his life with some frequency. He’d lost some of the confidence that Blaine had always given him- that he was loved, worthy, wanted. He’d lost all of the ideas he’d invested in their future together. He’d lost the first great love of his life. And of course, he missed all of those things deeply.

He also missed the sex.

The heartbreak came first, the sharp pain, the loneliness. But after a while, it became apparent how much he missed the intimacy, too. And not only the emotional parts of it, either. Just the physical act. He was a teenage boy, after all, and after having been regularly sexually active for a good seven months, it was hard to quit cold turkey.

So who could blame him, really, for having a slightly over-the-top reaction to a really well-fitting suit on another teenage boy? It wasn’t like it meant anything. And the fact that the boy wearing the suit happened to be Sebastian? Completely insignificant. Because if there was one universal truth in Kurt’s mind, it was that Sebastian Smythe was _not_ attractive. Not at all. He had a rodent face and horse teeth and that stupid CW hair that Kurt just wanted to tug at and-

Hey, it had _been_ a while.

Kurt knew he had to get his crazy hormones under control. After all, it was Melanie’s last night in Lima. She’d invited Kurt and Seb along to dinner with her parents at some ridiculously expensive restaurant, after which the three teens could raise hell until Melanie had to get home and get some sleep before starting the drive to Maine the following day. That night should be _all_ about Melanie.

Not about how stupidly good Sebastian looked in his suit.

 _He probably got it custom tailored_ , Kurt thought bitterly as Sebastian sat down at the table, in the empty chair between Melanie and her father. He shot Kurt a crooked smirk in greeting, and Kurt quickly schooled his expression to one of cool indifference- or so he hoped- in order to mask the weird mix of arousal and jealousy he’d been experiencing seconds before.

“Is this the kind of fancy place that serves wine to minors?” Sebastian asked casually as he opened his menu.

Mr. Brooks chuckled. “You can try, Sebastian, but we’re not vouching for you if you get thrown out.”

Sebastian grinned, and Kurt found himself even more jealous, though now of the way that Sebastian clearly got along with Melanie’s parents.

Kurt pushed away the thoughts and focused on his menu, making sure he could properly pronounce the dish he wanted to order- because of course half of the menu was in Italian- and then sipped at his glass of water. He turned to Melanie and watched as she told her mother about her roommate-to-be, whom she’d exchanged emails with but wouldn’t meet until she arrived at school. Melanie looked absolutely gorgeous, her hair sleek and smooth in a way it wasn’t normally, falling in waves over her bare shoulders, her pale skin contrasting with the navy blue dress she was wearing. Had he been physically attracted to girls, Kurt was sure Melanie would have taken his breath away. As it was, he was trying to avoid noticing the way Sebastian’s shoulders were so perfectly defined by that jacket.

Dinner went by smoothly, to the sound of silverware clinking and violin background music and soft chatter. Kurt liked playing upper-class for a couple hours- despite all of the fallacies that Melanie had listed to him many a time, he felt refined and proper and even in place. After they finished they left the restaurant, splitting up in the parking lot as Mr. and Mrs. Brooks headed for their car, and the teenagers walked to Sebastian’s Audi.

“So, Mel,” Sebastian said as he unlocked the car. “It’s your last night in this godforsaken town. Going out with a bang?”

Melanie smirked. “We’ll see where the night takes us.”

They pushed down the roof of Sebastian’s car and hopped in. Sebastian raced out of the parking lot to his passengers’ startled yelps, grinning widely.

First they drove to the bowling alley parking lot, Sebastian stopping the car in the back corner like they always did. They got out of the car to head to the clearing, but Melanie paused.

“Shit,” she muttered, looking up at the boys. “I forgot. I’m wearing a nice dress. I can’t go sit in the dirt.”

Kurt blinked, looking down at his own slacks. She had a point. Coming to the country club in formal wear hadn’t been their smartest idea.

“Take it off,” Sebastian suggested.

Kurt blanched, but Melanie considered for a moment, and then began doing just that- unzipping the dress and stepping out of it, revealing her bra and boyshorts underneath.

“Great,” Kurt said, glancing around the deserted parking lot. “Now if we get caught we can be charged with trespassing _and_ indecent exposure!”

Melanie shrugged, laying the dress on the passenger seat of her car. She straightened up and then rubbed her arms.

“Here,” Sebastian said, walking around the car and taking off his suit jacket, then handing it to her. Melanie slipped it on, looking like something straight out of a porno- wearing only heels, underwear and a jacket, a small clutch purse in her hand. Kurt rolled his eyes.

Together they made their way through the underbrush at the edge of the golf course until they reached the clearing. They all sat down on the ground, like they had all summer- though somewhat more gingerly than usual, considering their clothing situation. Sebastian didn’t particularly seem to care that his very nice suit was getting dirty. He’d also loosened his tie as they’d walked, and the way it hung casually and messily over his not-completely-buttoned dress shirt was making Kurt’s mind go to inappropriate places. Melanie opened her clutch and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, lighting one up. She took a drag and then blew the smoke out, letting it dissipate in the moonlit night. Sebastian reached into the pocket of his pants and procured a small silver flask, holding it up for them to see.

“The first step to going out with a bang,” he said, “is liquor.” He tossed the flask to Kurt, who caught it with a dubious look.

“Go on,” Sebastian urged him. “It’s for you two. I don’t trust anyone else to drive my car, so I’m staying dry tonight.”

Kurt opened the flask and sniffed at the liquid inside. “What is it?” he asked.

“Moonshine,” Sebastian replied, then smirked at Kurt’s expression. “I’m kidding. It’s amaretto. Drink up, it’s _nice_.”

Kurt took two sips of the alcohol, wrinkling his nose at the burning sensation. He had to admit, though, the aftertaste was pleasant. He passed it to Melanie, who tipped it delicately to her lips. After she’d knocked it back she looked around the clearing.

“Man,” she muttered. “I am honestly really, really excited to leave this town. But this spot I’m gonna miss a whole damn lot.”

Kurt could see the sincere sentimentality on her face, and then when he glanced at Sebastian he noticed the way he was smiling at Mel, sad and sweet, and Kurt almost couldn’t handle it, so he took the flask back from Melanie and took another swig to distract himself.

They remained in the clearing for a while as Melanie finished her cigarette, talking idly, reliving memories from that summer- and from before, told to Kurt with giggles and eye rolls. Eventually they stood up, brushing the dirt of their clothes-or in Melanie’s case, her bare legs- and pushed their way back through the underbrush, leaving their spot behind.

…

 

After some adventures in a gas station minimart and a half-baked attempt at going to a strip club, the trio ended up back at Melanie’s house. They got into Melanie’s room when Sebastian suggested a round of strip poker.

“That’s what we played the first time Kurt came over,” Melanie pointed out.

“Oh yeah,” Kurt agreed, remembering. He glanced from Melanie to Sebastian and then shrugged. “Well, I’m up for it.”

Maybe he was feeling adventurous. Maybe he was still a little drunk. Maybe he was also more than a little horny and wanted an outlet even if Sebastian was the only outlet available. Because again- Sebastian Smythe was not attractive. He was just…there. And offering to strip.

Melanie, however, protested. “Come on,” she argued. “You’re both wearing suits and I am wearing exactly three articles of clothing. One of which I’ve already taken off once tonight.”

“If you’d taken it off again we would’ve actually left that minimart with something,” Sebastian muttered. Melanie smacked him on the back of the head. “ _Fine_ ,” he relented. “We can play…strip blackjack. You can be the dealer. Dealer keeps their clothes on.”

Melanie sighed, but she agreed. Kurt was brushed up on the rules of the game and then they began, sitting on the floor, as Melanie dealt out cards.

Every time one of the boys lost a round, they took something off. It started with inconsequential things- shoes, socks, ties. Eventually, though, Kurt won a round that caused Sebastian to take off something significant.

“Are you counting cards, Hummel?” Sebastian asked devilishly as he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his long, tan chest. Kurt swallowed.

“I didn’t even know how to play until twenty minutes ago,” he countered. “You just must be bad at it.”

Narrowing his eyes, with a half-smirk on his lips, Sebastian tilted his head. “Come on, Dealer,” he said to Melanie without breaking eye contact with Kurt. “Let’s show this kid what I’m made of.”

The game suddenly got much more competitive, and a lot more _heated_. Kurt and Sebastian sneered at eachother, challenging the other, and Kurt fought very hard to keep his eyes from lingering on Sebastian’s unfairly lean torso.

When they reached the point where Kurt had to stand and slip off his pants, leaving both he and Sebastian only in their underwear, Melanie spoke up. “Okay, that’s the end,” she said, gathering the cards and putting a hairtie around them.

“What?” Sebastian asked, affronted. “The game was just starting to get interesting.”

Melanie rolled her eyes. “Oh, trust me, it’s been _interesting_ for a while.” She shot each of the boys a knowing look and Kurt prayed with all his might that he wasn’t blushing too noticeably. “Come on,” Melanie told them, standing up. “Put your clothes back on. It’s late and I need sleep if I’m going to survive two full days in a car with my father. Seb, you can drive Kurt home, right? I picked him up.”

“Yeah,” Sebastian grumbled as he pulled his pants on. “That’s fine.”

And then, once the boys were redressed in rumpled clothing and Melanie was standing by her bed with mussed hair and reddened cheeks, came the moment that they realized was goodbye. They had to leave so Melanie could go to sleep, wake up, and move hundreds of miles away. A subdued silence fell over the three of them as they looked at one another.

Finally Melanie laughed, not entirely sincerely, shaking her head. She moved forward and hugged Kurt, holding him tight around his waist. Kurt returned the embrace.

“I’m gonna miss you,” he told her.

“Duh,” she replied, the word muffled by Kurt’s chest. She pulled back, hands still on his sides. “Just, I’ll Skype you and text you and everything. Don’t get too distracted by the city and forget about me.”

Kurt shook his head wordlessly, smiling at her.

She then let go of Kurt and moved to Sebastian. The two embraced, and Kurt felt almost as though he was intruding- eavesdropping inappropriately on the parting moment between two best friends. What gave him the right to be there?

There were no words between Melanie and Sebastian, just a fierce hug. Then Melanie pulled away, wiping at her eyes. “Get out of here,” she told them, her voice weak. “I’ll talk to you soon enough.”

So they left, if reluctantly. The two boys made their way silently through Melanie’s darkened house to the front door, then down the driveway to Sebastian’s car.

“You’re gonna have to give me directions,” Sebastian said as he started the engine, and Kurt was slightly thankful, because that meant they wouldn’t have to talk about anything else. After the somewhat _charged_ game of blackjack and the following emotional farewell, Kurt didn’t really look forward to making small talk with Sebastian.

They made their way through the streets of Lima, mostly deserted so late in the evening, despite it being a Saturday. Finally, Sebastian pulled up to the curb outside of Kurt’s house.

Once the car stopped it was almost painfully silent. Over the course of the ride Kurt had realized that with Melanie gone, he and Sebastian no longer had any common ground. Sure, they’d spent some time together on their own and there was no denying that sometimes they had some sort of…connection. But it wasn’t enough. Kurt knew that more than likely they wouldn’t see eachother for the rest of the summer, and even once they both went to school in New York it would be easy not to run into eachother. They wouldn’t talk at all until they all came back for Thanksgiving or Christmas and Mel brought them back together, expecting to hear about their wild adventures together in the big city. As these thoughts flashed through Kurt’s mind in the passenger seat of Sebastian’s car, he couldn’t help but feel hurt. It might be easy to move on, but Kurt doubted he could forget Sebastian even if he tried.

“Well,” he said, and the breaking of the silence felt horribly uncomfortable and suddenly he just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Sure,” Sebastian replied, still staring out the windshield.

Kurt unbuckled and opened his door, beginning to climb out, when Sebastian spoke again. “Kurt,” he said.

Kurt paused, looking back at Sebastian. Despite being considerably more disheveled than he had been at the start of the night, he still looked rather dashing in his suit. Oh, who was Kurt kidding? Sebastian Smythe _was_ attractive, goddamnit.

“Yeah?” Kurt prompted.

“I, um, I just…” Sebastian trailed off, then blinked. “I’ll see you around.”

With a sinking sensation in his chest, Kurt nodded. “Yeah,” he managed. “Bye.”

He got out of the car and shut the door, then headed across the front lawn to his house.

It wasn’t until he’d reached the front door that he heard Sebastian’s engine start, and then race down the street.

 

 


	33. Chapter 33

Sebastian was playing Xbox, lying on the couch, having woken up about half an hour previously. He had the house to himself and therefore could unabashedly curse at the TV screen.

When his phone vibrated on the coffee table he considered not answering, but the distraction was enough that his character died in the game. Grumbling, he picked up the phone. Then he saw who was calling, and furrowed his eyebrows.

“Mel?” he said as he answered the call. “Aren’t you driving to Maine with your dad?”

“Yeah,” Melanie replied. “I’m at a gas station in Pennsylvania. I needed to talk to you.”

Confused, Sebastian lounged back further onto the couch. “Okay, what?”

He heard Melanie take a breath. “Don’t let your fear of being an actual human being with feelings hinder you from happiness.”

Sebastian blinked, feeling very confused. “Um, what?”

Melanie scoffed. “I’m trying to tell you to go for Kurt. It’s-“

“Oh, no, no,” Sebastian interrupted her. “First of all, it is too early for serious conversations.”

“It’s eleven-thirty.”

“ _Secondly_ , you don’t get to tell me what to do.”

Sebastian heard Melanie sigh. “Look, Seb. I’m coming to you about this because I have all the pieces. I’m the third party that his been privy to exactly what’s been going on for the past couple months. I know that you’re afraid and you don’t want to be vulnerable and all that shit, but get _over_ it. You’ve been playing the unfeeling bastard for years. Tell Kurt that you like him. Take a fucking chance. In fact, it’s not even a chance. It’s a done deal. Just do yourself a favor and actually go through with it.”

Sebastian scrubbed his face, resigned to actually having the conversation. “Mel, it’s not…that easy. You don’t get it. I can’t just do that.”

“Well,” Melanie replied airily. “If _you_ can’t do it, that’s okay. I mean, you got dibs on the information because you’re my best friend, but if you continue to be a clueless jackass I _will_ tell Kurt so that he’ll take initiative.”

Sebastian blanched. “You…wouldn’t.”

“I would,” Melanie answered with a level tone.

Sebastian bit his lip until the skin nearly broke. “You’re a conniving bitch,” he said finally.

“I want you to be happy,” Melanie told him earnestly. “Even if I have to be a little bit evil to achieve that. Now tell Kurt, please. He likes you too.”

“You’re terrible,” Sebastian insisted.

“Call me once you’ve done it,” Melanie responded. “I’ve got to go now. Bye.”

Sebastian hung up without saying anything else, and then let his head loll back on the couch cushion.

…

 

Despite having showered since talking on the phone with Melanie, Sebastian didn’t look very put-together. His hair stuck out at various directions from his hands wringing it. He sat on his bed, staring at his phone where it was placed next to him. He could do this. Just pick it up and make a call. Ask Kurt if they could meet up somewhere, like the Lima Bean. Was that a good idea? Was it too public? Those McKinley Glee kids hung around there all the time. Maybe they could get drinks and then go somewhere else afterwards. But then they’d have to talk while they got their coffee- and what about? Sebastian pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes. How the hell did he think he could date Kurt if he couldn’t even think of what to _talk_ to him about? How did he think he could date _anyone_ , for that matter? He could hardly stand people for more than twenty minutes at a time in most cases. Melanie was basically the only exception.

Sebastian took a deep breath. He’d spent tons of time with Kurt over this summer. More than he’d wanted to, in fact. They were perfectly capable of making conversation.

Sebastian swallowed, glancing over at his phone again.

…

 

Kurt received a text that afternoon from Sebastian, asking if they could meet at the diner they’d somewhat frequented over the summer. Kurt was surprised, but pleasantly so- although he’d never admit it. It was unforgivingly humid outside, so Kurt regretfully dressed in a simple green t-shirt and khaki shorts. He reasoned that at least Sebastian would have nothing to tease him about so far as clothing went. He didn’t stop to ponder the fact that he was concerned about what Sebastian thought of how he looked.

Kurt drove to the diner. The parking lot was nearly empty, which made sense since it was three in the afternoon. Kurt saw Sebastian’s car and parked across from it, then got out and made his way to the entrance of the restaurant. As he pushed the door open into the blessed air conditioning, the tiny bell tied to the door handle clanged, alerting the inhabitants of his presence. Kurt looked around, seeing that only a couple of tables were occupied, when his eyes landed on Sebastian. He was sitting at a booth, holding a mug between his hands and looking down at it. Curious, Kurt moved forward until he was standing at the end of Sebastian’s table.

“Hey,” he said.

Sebastian looked up, seemingly startled. “Oh, Kurt. Hi.”

Kurt smiled. “May I join you?”

Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Go for it.”

Kurt slid into the booth across from him, nodding at Sebastian’s cup. “What’s that?”

“Coffee,” Sebastian told him. “But the damn waitress isn’t around to give me a refill.”

Kurt felt himself relax. “You picked a pretty terrible time to go out,” he pointed out.

Sebastian looked down at his mug again. “Yeah. The service here is usually pretty shitty, anyway.”

Kurt laughed. “Then why did you want me to meet you here?”

Sebastian looked up then, and again he seemed surprised, thrown off balance. Almost…scared.

“I just, um.” Sebastian swallowed, as if steeling himself. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“Okay,” Kurt replied, becoming more confused. “That’s fine.”

Sebastian looked away, glancing around the restaurant. “Do you want to order anything?”

Kurt smirked. “That’s hard when there’s no waitress around.”

“Yeah,” Sebastian agreed, resigned. “I guess that’s best.”

“What?” Kurt asked, perplexed.

Sebastian sighed, then turned back to meet Kurt’s gaze. He angled his chin up, and Kurt could see the vestiges of that confident façade that he’d always had when they encountered eachother over the past school year, besides the occasion after Karofsky’s suicide attempt. Kurt hadn’t realized until now that he hadn’t seen the controlled cocky grin that used to be Sebastian’s signature look on him in weeks. But it seemed to be coming back.

“Look, Kurt,” Sebastian said, his tone uncharacteristically nervous. “I just need to tell you something. I am a really selfish person. I mean, you probably know that already. I tend to put my own interests first, and don’t give a fuck about how anyone else feels, unless I can benefit from it. For the most part, other people are just kind of…background characters for me. They’re either useful or they’re not. So…it’s rare that I actually feel like I, um, care for someone, beyond just wanting to get something from them. I don’t usually actually give a shit about what someone thinks or how they feel and everything…and it’s really weird, and confusing.” Sebastian’s hands flexed unconsciously around his coffee mug. He sighed, and closed his eyes for a moment before forcing out more words. “Which is why it’s so hard for me to tell you this. Because it doesn’t make any sense. I mean, logically, obviously, people care for eachother and whatever. But not _me_. I’ve never been like that. I care about my family, most the time, and about Mel, but other than that I’ve always managed to steer clear of real relationships and whatnot because it’s all just _bullshit_ , and I thought I was the smart one, because I _knew_ that it was all a colossal waste of time, and that caring was useless and toxic and the only way to actually be successful was to disregard other people. But then I started caring.” He took a deep breath. “Do you remember, um, that party we went to a while ago…it was a Warbler party, or something. Anyway, you said that people change, and I completely blew it off. But I’ve kind of been thinking, and…maybe you were right, at least, when you said it was more complicated than we thought. Because I swear to God, I’m still me. I’m not a different person. But…maybe people can change, because I never imagined that I would become an idiot like everyone else and start caring about someone. Maybe some things do change you.” Sebastian had said much of his speech more to his coffee mug than to Kurt, his voice quiet and rueful but sure.

Kurt blinked. “Sebastian, I don’t think I understand…”

Sebastian closed his eyes. Kurt watched helplessly, so confused by the entire situation. A part of him suspected, but he quickly pushed that thought aside- it _couldn't_ be...

"I just-" Sebastian faltered. "Christ, I can talk myself out of anything but I can't say these fucking words. I like you, Kurt. I care about you. That sounds so fucking weird. It's true, though." He coughed, expectantly holding Kurt's gaze. “So, um…what do you think…?”

What did Kurt think? He hardly knew. He didn’t know what to make of any of it. He knew that this was a moment he’d been waiting for- he’d wanted Sebastian to reach out, hell, he’d wanted Sebastian to _want_ him. But now, with everything out in the open, Kurt didn’t know what do to. He felt like he’d had the floor swept out from under him, like he was freefalling. All he could do was stare at Sebastian’s anxious face.

Kurt realized in a rush that suddenly he had all of the power. Though for most of the time he'd known Sebastian Kurt had felt absolutely helpless around him, with this confession Sebastian had handed all of the burden of the decision over to Kurt. There was no balance between them, and Kurt thought he might suffocate under the weight of what his response would mean. Kurt felt emotions flow through him- the surprise, the confusion, the quick burst of excitement through his heart. But the thrill of these feelings came with a shadow of doubt, and their familiarity was weighted with the memory of other emotions- of being let down before, of Blaine at his doorstep last week, of how bruised and unsure his heart still was. Kurt could feel his eyes starting to prickle but still had nothing to say, no words forming from the chaotic emotions in his mind.

Sebastian’s expression hardened at Kurt’s silence, and he looked away.

“Nevermind,” he told Kurt, sliding out of the booth and taking his wallet from his pants. “It doesn’t matter.”

“No,” Kurt choked out as Sebastian threw a five-dollar bill on the table. “Sebastian-“

“I’ll see you around,” Sebastian replied insincerely, and then turned away, heading for the door. Kurt watched him leave, feeling his heart sink into his shoes. He wanted to run after Sebastian, to call out to him, to say- what? He didn’t know what to say, what to think. And now he’d fucked everything up.

Kurt stared at the door for a few minutes until a waitress appeared at the end of the table. “Excuse me, sir?” she asked hesitantly.

Kurt blinked, turning to look up at her. “Uh, sorry. Yes?”

“Do you want to order anything?”

“No,” Kurt told her. “But, um, I’ll take the check for my friend. Did he get anything else?” he asked, although the coffee mug was the only thing on the table.

“No,” she said, picking up the mug and the money on the table. “But he sure drank a lot of coffee. I refilled his cup at least three times.”

Kurt thanked her and then left the restaurant.

…

 

Sebastian drove for hours after he left the diner.

He didn’t want to go home, couldn’t see Melanie, had no where else to go. So he sped through Lima, outside of town, and raced down dusty county highways. He blatantly ignored the speed limit, instead testing how fast his pretty little Audi really could go. He almost wanted to be caught, to be pulled over, but no cops were around, no flashing lights in his rear-view mirror. He finally headed home once he was running low on gas. His parents were out to dinner when he arrived, so he was blessedly alone. His limbs felt heavy and his legs were stiff after driving for so long. He trudged up the stairs, made it to his room, and collapsed onto his bed.

He thought he’d felt depressed before, but nothing quite compared to this feeling.

 


	34. Chapter 34

Kurt had been home, holed up in his room, for about an hour when he finally called Sebastian. He’d pulled together his thoughts and feelings well enough that he’d at least have something to say- that he was sorry, and this was confusing for him as well, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want something to happen between them, because in all honesty he couldn’t deny his own feelings for Sebastian. When he finally plucked up the courage to call, though, he went straight to voicemail. Deciding that this was not the kind of thing to leave a message about- and maybe chickening out a little bit, too- Kurt hung up and lay back on his bed, dejected.

Kurt tried calling him three more times over the next thirty-six hours, but Sebastian never answered the phone. Kurt didn’t know what to do. He felt almost physically sick, and spent most of his time in his room thinking in circles about how stupid he was.

On Tuesday, Kurt nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard his phone ring. He scrambled from his desk over to where it sat on his bedside table and picked it up. He was mildly disappointed when he saw Melanie’s name lit across the screen.

“Hey,” he answered.

“Hey, Kurt!” Melanie replied. Kurt couldn’t help the smile that breached his lips. Hearing her voice felt nice, even though she’d left just a couple days ago. She was some sort of calm constant in Kurt’s somehow chaotic life. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” Kurt told her, trying to keep his tone even.

“Have you talked to Sebastian recently?” she asked. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of him but he won’t answer.”

“I know the feeling,” Kurt said wryly, settling down onto his bed.

“What do you mean?” Melanie asked, worried.

Kurt sighed. “Mel, I don’t know what to _do_ ,” he told her helplessly.

“Can you explain a little more?”

So Kurt explained. He told her about the diner, and Sebastian’s confession, and his own muddled feelings. He finally stopped speaking, breathless, and waited for Melanie’s reaction.

“Yeah…” she said. “I knew most of that.”

“What?” Kurt asked incredulously. “You _knew_?”

“Well, I didn’t know specifically the whole diner bit,” she clarified. “But I did know that you two liked eachother.”

Kurt spluttered. “What- how- how could you know that?”

Melanie scoffed. “Because I’m not a _moron_. I’ve seen you two all summer, and I’ve seen the way you’ve grown closer. You also happened to ask me about rebounds, which was not exactly subtle.”

“Shut up,” Kurt muttered, suddenly a little embarrassed. “Okay, okay, so you figured it out. Good for you. Now will you please tell me what I’m supposed to do to fix this?”

Melanie laughed. “Have no fear, darling. I’ll save the day.”

Kurt let out a sigh of relief.

…

 

Sebastian was lying in bed, tossing a stress ball up and down, when he heard his mother call his name.

“Yeah?” he shouted back.

“Don’t yell!” she yelled hypocritically.

Sebastian got out of bed and padded downstairs. His mother was waiting in the doorway to the kitchen, her dark hair pulled into a sleek bun, wearing no makeup and paint-stained clothes. She must have been working.

“What?” he asked when he reached her. She held up a phone, one of the landlines.

“There’s a call for you. Somebody from NYU.”

Sebastian reached for the phone and she handed it to him, then left the room, headed towards the studio in their backyard. Sebastian held the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

“Hey,” the voice on the other end of the line replied, and it was decidedly _not_ someone from NYU.

“Melanie?” Sebastian exclaimed. “What the fuck?”

“Glad I have your attention,” Melanie commented dryly.

“I’m hanging up,” Sebastian told her.

“I have your mother on my side,” Melanie said quickly. “If you hang up, so help you I’ll tell her things about her son she never wanted to hear.”

“You’re a bitch,” Sebastian said simply.

“I care about you,” Melanie corrected.

Sebastian leaned against the doorframe, closing his eyes for a moment. “Why are you calling?”

“To tell you to pull your head out of your ass.”

“Look, Mel,” he said seriously. “The last time you called me and told me what to do it _didn’t end well_.”

“Hmm, I wouldn’t know,” she said. “Since you’ve been avoiding everyone ever since.”

Sebastian sighed. “I did what you said, okay? I told him how I feel. And guess what? He didn’t respond. He just stared at me like I was a lunatic. So good job. Thanks for showing me the light.”

Melanie let out an aggravated sigh. “He didn’t respond _right away_. Jesus, Sebastian, I didn’t think you were this stupid. He’s been calling you nonstop since then- and hell, so have I- but you haven’t done a damn thing about it. Life is not a series of ultimatums, Sebastian. I know you like to live as though you’re in some CW drama, but that’s not actually the world the rest of us live in. Kurt froze, yeah- for a minute. You didn’t give him time to process. He doesn’t take this stuff lightly, okay? You knew that. And then, once he unfroze and tried to do something about it, tried to reach out to you the same way you reached out to him, you _completely ignore him_. Do you understand what an ass you’re being? Not to mention shutting your best friend out of the whole thing.”

Sebastian slid further down against the doorframe. He felt as though he’d been deflated. “You’re gonna tell me what to do, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Melanie admitted. “Because apparently I’m the only sane, non-oblivious person in the world. But my instructions this time are easy: just talk to him.”

“I have the feeling that’s easier said than done,” Sebastian quipped.

“Most things are,” she agreed. “Okay?”

“Okay.”

Melanie laughed. “Good, now that that’s out of the way, ask me how moving into my new school is going! Sheesh.”

Sebastian smiled weakly, and listened as Melanie continued to talk, happy to hear her voice.

…

 

Kurt received a text that afternoon from Sebastian.

_Sorry for ignoring you. Come to my house?_

Kurt’s stomach twisted up in both excitement and nervousness. He texted back that he’d be there as soon as possible. 

The drive over was nerve-wracking. He had no idea what to expect. Melanie had said that she’d ‘fix it,’ but he didn’t know exactly what that meant- nor if Sebastian was likely to actually do what Mel told him.

Kurt finally pulled into the long driveway that lead up to the huge house where Sebastian lived. Seb was there already, standing outside, wearing a black t-shirt and jeans, his hair carelessly messy. He had his arms crossed, and he looked far too attractive despite the apprehension in his face.

Kurt parked and took a deep breath, steeling himself, before getting out of the car. He walked up to Sebastian until they were a couple feet apart. “Hey,” Kurt said.

“Hi,” Sebastian answered. He clenched his jaw before continuing to speak. “Sorry about the cryptic text. Thanks for coming.”

“Of course,” Kurt replied. He could feel his stomach twisting up uncomfortably. He didn’t know what to expect, whether to be excited or depressed. He tried to keep his face neutral, not displaying the anxiety he felt. “What, um, what’s up?” It was the possibly lamest thing Kurt had ever said, but he didn’t know how else to ask what was going on between them.

Sebastian sighed. “Look,” he began. “I’m just really sorry about what happened the other day, when I told you. I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that. It took me ages to figure out how to tell you how I feel and then I just expected you to answer immediately. I thought that, I don’t know, maybe that telling you would make me the good guy, but I actually just pushed everything on to you and became even more of an asshole than I already was.”

Kurt exhaled, feeling his stomach start to unknot. “Sebastian-“

“Wait,” Sebastian insisted. “I shouldn’t have walked out. I just panicked, but…god, it was such a dick thing to do, and I’m sorry about that. I just haven’t treated you fairly at _all_ and it just goes to show what a fucking terrible person I am if this is how I treat the person I _like-_ ”

“Sebastian,” Kurt tried again, but was cut off once more.

“And then I kept ignoring your calls because I couldn’t handle it. I mean, I didn’t know what you were going to say to me. I thought you must not have, you know, felt the same way since you hadn’t said anything at first, and I just couldn’t talk to you and listen to you say that you didn’t care about me, like that, so instead I just completely shut you out because I didn’t…um, Kurt, what are you-?”

Kurt, tired of being interrupted, had simply begun to step forward slowly, breaching the distance between them. Finally they were face to face, and Kurt smiled softly. “Sebastian,” he said, quietly.

“Yeah?” Seb finally answered, seeming confused and a little breathless.

“You ramble when you’re nervous,” Kurt observed.

“Do I?” Sebastian breathed.

“Yeah,” Kurt responded. “And you need to stop apologizing.”

“But-“ Sebastian started, and this time Kurt didn’t let him continue.

“Sebastian, everyone makes stupid mistakes. Everyone. Especially when feelings are involved, okay? So stop beating yourself up.”

Sebastian breathed out slowly. “Okay, fine. I guess.”

“Mmm,” Kurt intoned. “You know what else?”

“What?”

Kurt smiled, looking at Sebastian’s brilliant green eyes, so close, and the barely-there freckles that dotted his face, usually indistinguishable from his tan. “I want to kiss you,” Kurt told him.

Sebastian swallowed, and Kurt went on. “I want to kiss you, quick and gentle. And then we’ll both pull back and laugh, because we’re both a little nervous. And then I want to kiss you again, a little longer, a little deeper. And then I want to take your hand and lead you back to my car. I want to drive to somewhere where we can get junk food and then sit and talk for hours. And then I want to drive you home, and kiss you goodnight.”

“Wow,” Sebastian managed. Kurt smirked.

“How does that sound to you?” Kurt asked.

Sebastian answered by pressing his lips to Kurts’.

…

 

Things didn’t go exactly as planned, because they never do. They kissed, and they laughed nervously, and then they drove Kurt’s car to a coffee shop that was out of cheesecake, so he grumpily had to settle for banana bread and endure Sebastian’s amused smirk over his cappuccino. They talked and Sebastian complained about the retro-hip interior decorating of the café, and Kurt continually insisted that Seb had terrible taste. It was surprisingly similar to most of their interactions over the past month or so, except for the way that in breaks of their conversation they’d simply sit there, staring at eachother and smiling, butterflies filling their stomachs. Eventually Kurt drove Sebastian back home, and after an awkwardly strained moment parked in the driveway Kurt muttered, “oh for God’s sake,” and pulled Sebastian’s collar forward so they could kiss briefly.

It was dark when Kurt arrived home, light shining from the windows of his house. He sat in his car for a moment after turning off the engine, taking deep breaths and trying to subdue his giddy smile. He walked inside, waved to where his father and Finn were sitting in the living room, and then headed upstairs. He closed his bedroom door behind him and then fell back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling and replaying every exhilarating moment of his evening.

 


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter, everyone!

Kurt woke up the next morning and lay in bed for a moment, letting his memories come back to him as the vestiges of his dreams faded away, recalling what was reality and what wasn’t.

Sebastian and he had kissed. Twice. That was reality.

He grabbed his phone from his bedside table. He’d slept in fairly late, and he had a few new text messages. Most of them were from Melanie.

 _Sebastian called me and told me and I fist-pumped excitedly, Breakfast Club style, hit my roommate’s bed with my fist, and severely bruised my knuckles_ , said the first one.

 _Maybe not severely bruised, but it hurt like a bitch,_ she followed up.

Kurt snorted, pulling his sheets further up his body as he read her next message.

_You’re welcome, by the way. I expect a thank you dinner when we’re all home. I know what a good cook you are._

And finally, _This also means that you two can’t break up before Thanksgiving at least, because that would be cheating me out of a dinner._

Kurt considered the last text with a frown. He appreciated Melanie’s zeal, and the part that she’d played in what had happened the previous night. However…he was a little preoccupied by what she’d said.

 _You two can’t break up_ … Kurt had been so wrapped up in the present the night before that he hadn’t stopped to think about the future, which was rare for him. He usually had plans and goals and timelines and schedules. Sebastian had sort of thrown him a curveball, though.

Was Sebastian his _boyfriend_? They liked eachother, yes. They’d kissed. They’d even gone on what most people would consider a date. But the idea of Sebastian being in a committed, exclusive relationship was laughable, at best.

Then again, the idea of Kurt and Sebastian kissing had once been pretty ridiculous, too.

Kurt sighed, staring at Melanie’s message for a few moments before he realized that he still had another unread text.

It was from Sebastian.

_You want to come over today?_

Kurt bit his lip, but couldn’t stop the expanding feeling of joy in his chest.

…

 

Sebastian had had an _interesting_ morning.

He’d been woken up by his mother at eight-fifteen, which was far, far too early. She had insisted that he come help her move some heavy boxes in the storage room. Irritated, Sebastian pulled himself out of bed and shuffled downstairs after his mom, rubbing his sleep-sticky eyes. Once they were in the room off of the garage where they had shelves and boxes of various items, Mrs. Smythe gestured to the boxes in question that she needed moved.

“So,” she said while her son struggled to lift the heavy box. “Where were you yesterday evening?”

Sebastian glanced at her. “Out,” he said simply, which was usually sufficient. Sebastian’s parents knew that he did a fair share of philandering, so they usually didn’t ask too many questions about it.

“Out where?” Mrs. Smythe inquired.

Sebastian, having moved the first box out of the way, straightened and looked at her. “What’s it matter?”

She shrugged. “Your car was still here. I just wondered who you might have gone with, since Melanie moved away.”

“I do have other friends, Mom,” Sebastian said, which was more or less a lie. He had other people to hang out with, but ‘friend’ was a pretty strong word for anyone besides Melanie. Or Kurt.

“I know, I know,” she replied, holding her hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry, I was just curious.”

Sebastian didn’t respond, instead setting about pushing the second box out of the way. When he’d finished, his mother gathered up the large canvasses that had been leaning against the wall behind the boxes.

“Would you mind staying home today?” she asked. “I want to spend time in the studio but an electrician is coming by to look at the chandelier so someone needs to be in the house.”

“ _Mom_ ,” Sebastian groaned. “I was kind of going to make plans today.”

Mrs. Smythe sighed. “Can’t you wait to go out until tonight? Or invite people over, I don’t care.”

Sebastian momentarily weighed his options. He’d wanted to hang out with Kurt, if possible. If he invited Kurt over he ran the risk of having to introduce him to his mom. It wasn’t the worst possible situation, and he didn’t seem to have much of a choice, so he reluctantly agreed and went back to his room to text Kurt.

When Kurt did arrive a couple hours later, wearing shorts and a red-and-white striped shirt that looked really fantastic on him, Sebastian answered the door and shyly let him inside. It was bizarre how everything felt kind of different now, and awkward in an exhilarating way. Kurt had been to his house before, but things had changed since then. Sebastian had spent the last several hours pacing around and worrying about what he and Kurt would do. He’d decided he didn’t want to deal with the connotations of bringing Kurt into his room, so he instead suggested that they go watch a movie in the so-called family room. Kurt readily, if nervously, agreed.

“My mom is here, but she should be working all day so she won’t bother us,” Sebastian explained as he led Kurt through the house. “She’s making me stay home because some electrician is coming and someone needs to let him in and make sure he doesn’t steal anything.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Okay,” he agreed.

They entered the room and Kurt settled onto the leather couch as Sebastian turned on the large television. He sat next to Kurt and after a rather noncommittal discussion about what to watch, Sebastian picked the first movie he figured neither of them would hate. Sebastian had his arm slung across the back of the couch, but Kurt was sitting remarkably straight, and therefore preventing any skin-to-skin contact that might otherwise have occurred. He wanted to tease Kurt about it, but he was too nervous himself. God, this was so stupid. Even just yesterday they’d been fine around eachother. More proof of Sebastian’s theory that thinking things over just makes everything suck.

Fifteen minutes into the movie, Sebastian picked up the remote and paused it. “This is dumb,” he announced.

Kurt turned and looked at him, surprised. “What, the movie?”

“I don’t know,” Sebastian said. “Do you even know what’s going on in the movie?”

“Um,” Kurt blushed. “I haven’t really been paying attention.”

“Yeah,” Sebastian agreed. “Me neither. When I thought about inviting you over to put on a movie and not watch it, this isn’t really what I had in mind.”

Kurt scoffed and elbowed Sebastian teasingly. “You’re disgusting.”

“Like you weren’t thinking it too,” Sebastian said with a smirk. “Besides, if I’m disgusting and you want to date me, what does that say about you, huh?”

Kurt ducked his head, smiling. Then he looked at Sebastian, his face a bit more subdued. “Yeah, about that…”

Sebastian had a moment of panic which he prayed didn’t show on his face- what the hell did that mean? Did Kurt not want to date him? Fear seized his heart.

“I was just thinking,” Kurt went on, smoothing his hands over his thighs. “I mean, I was wondering, if we…or, if you…like, what are we? Are you, um, are you my boyfriend?”

Sebastian let out a sigh of relief, his head resting against the back of the couch. “Jesus, you freaked me out.” He looked back up to Kurt’s apprehensive face. “Yes,” he said. “I mean, yeah, I want to be your boyfriend.” He laughed. “That’s sounds weird, doesn’t it?”

Kurt grinned. “A little bit,” he admitted. “But definitely not in a bad way. I mean, I want to be your boyfriend too. I want us to be boyfriends.”

“Perfect,” Sebastian said, and then he leaned forward, pressing his forehead to Kurt’s. They stayed like that for a moment, so close, breathing eachother’s air, before their lips met momentarily.

“But,” Kurt said when they pulled away, then paused to take a breath. “I think that we should wait to, you know, go public with our relationship until we’re both in New York.”

Sebastian laughed. “Go public? What are you, a celebrity?”

“You know what I mean,” Kurt said, rolling his eyes. “I think it would just be better if we didn’t tell a lot of people while we’re still here. It’s only really a few days, anyway.”

“Damn,” Sebastian said sardonically, “I was _so_ looking forward to changing my Facebook status.” He grinned at Kurt’s unamused glare. “Yes,” he relented. “I can manage that. Mum’s the word.”

“Have you told anyone?” Kurt asked hesitantly.

“Well, Melanie, obviously,” Sebastian said.

“Right,” Kurt smiled wryly. “But you haven’t even told your parents, or anything?”

“Uh, no,” Sebastian said. “But I don’t really tell my parents anything.”

“Oh.”

“What about you?” Sebastian asked, moving his arm so it rested around Kurt’s shoulders. “Have you told anyone? Your parents?”

“No,” Kurt said, sighing. “But my dad isn’t…overly fond of you.”

Sebastian groaned. “Oh my god,” he said. “My life has become a fucking sitcom. He’s going to pull out a gun and come hunt me down when he finds out, isn’t he?”

Kurt laughed. “My dad does not own a gun.”

“Not yet,” Sebastian said wryly. Kurt hit him lightly on the chest.

“Anyway,” Kurt went on. “Even if we’re not going to tell people we’re boyfriends…I do want you to come to Rachel and my going away party. Just as my friend.”

Sebastian sighed. “But all of your friends hate me.”

“Not all of them,” Kurt protested, though he didn’t offer any evidence or examples. “And also, um…” Kurt bit his lip. “Blaine will be there.”

Sebastian once again, rather dramatically, let his head fall back. “Seriously? Is this some kind of test? Are you gonna line us up and make sure I’m up to snuff to date you?”

Kurt laughed. “No. Look, I just…I want to end my time in Lima on a good note, with everyone. And I want to be surrounded by all the people who are…important to me, and have been over the past few years. So please come. It’ll mean a lot to me, and anyone who doesn’t want to be around you can just leave. It’s my party and I get to choose who comes.”

“It’s Rachel’s party too,” Sebastian pointed out.

Kurt scoffed. “And you don’t think I have her wrapped around my finger?”

Sebastian laughed. “You are so controlling.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Sebastian insisted. “And I like it.” He moved forward to kiss Kurt again when they heard someone clear their throat.

Both boys turned their heads quickly to see Mrs. Smythe standing in the doorway.

“Christ, Mom,” Sebastian exclaimed, half-standing.

“Hello, darling,” she said, pushing aside a strand of dark hair that had fallen out of her bun. “Sorry to

interrupt, I was just looking for some photographs.”

Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.

“And who is your guest?” Mrs. Smythe asked, smiling.

“I’m Kurt, ma’am,” Kurt said, standing up. “You must be Mrs. Smythe.”

“Call me Lydia,” she replied, walking forward so she could shake Kurt’s hand over the back of the couch. “Are you a…friend of Sebastian’s?”

Sebastian and Kurt glanced at eachother. Sebastian shrugged. “Yeah,” Kurt answered awkwardly after a moment. “We’re…pretty close.”

“Ah,” Lydia said knowingly. “Well, don’t mind me.”

She turned to a chest of drawers against one of the walls and pulled out a photo album, then held it up as though to show Sebastian she had a legitimate reason for coming in. “I’ll be in the studio if you boys need anything,” she told them, exiting the room.

Sebastian sighed. “Sorry about that.”

“Yeah,” Kurt said.

“I guess I’ll probably have to tell her,” Sebastian mused, sitting back down on the couch.

“There’s a first time for everything,” Kurt said teasingly, which Sebastian responded to by pushing him

over and pinning his arms down.

 


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are so very close to the end here, guys, and I'm going to miss it. In the meantime, enjoy some deep Kurtbastian conversation.

Sebastian sat in his car in the parking lot, staring out the windshield and feeling like an idiot.

He shouldn’t be _worried_ about going into Kurt and Rachel’s goodbye dinner. It was just a bunch of New Directions kids at Breadstix. Sebastian had had no problem with being around Kurt’s glee club in the past- although he’d always been either threatening or disdainful towards them. That was probably largely why he was having difficulty getting out of his car.

But Kurt was in there- Sebastian could see his car across the lot- and Kurt wanted _him_ to be there. And Sebastian had been finding out lately that he would do pretty much anything Kurt asked him to, a concept that he was frequently scared by if he thought about it too hard.

So he steeled himself and got out of the car, walking towards the restaurant. When he entered, the server at the podium looked him up and down. “One?”

“No,” Sebastian replied, rolling his eyes. “I’m here for a group, um, Hummel? Or, Berry?”

The server glanced at the paper in front of him, and then looked back up. “Follow me,” he said, and then led Sebastian to the back, where a large group of teenagers were occupying several large booths. Sebastian scanned the grinning faces, none of which had noticed him yet, until his eyes finally landed on Kurt. He let out a sigh of relief and headed straight for his boyfriend.

Kurt looked up and saw Sebastian before he reached the table, and he stood up to greet Sebastian. It was hard not to reach forward and tug on Kurt’s shirt, bring him in for a kiss(“Don’t wrinkle it!” Kurt would exclaim laughingly after their lips parted, smoothing his hand over his own chest before slipping down to lace his fingers with Sebastian and binding their hands, a subtle reminder that he’s there, that they’re together). Sebastian managed to restrain himself, since they were laying low, instead only nodding and smiling in response to Kurt’s excited wave.

“Hey,” Kurt greeted him, standing up.

“Hi,” Sebastian replied, feeling bizarrely bashful, and then feeling stupid for that. He could tell that the table Kurt had been sitting at had grown quiet, and all eyes were on him and Kurt. Kurt must have noticed too, because he turned around and said, in a tone that implied _no funny business_ , “You all know Sebastian.”

There was some general nodding and mumbling. The girl who Sebastian recognized as Mercedes actually enunciated a “hello.”

“Quite the party,” Sebastian remarked dryly, the atmosphere still uncomfortable.

Kurt shrugged. “I prefer more intimate gatherings.”

“Strange, considering the things I’ve heard about New Directions parties.” Kurt raised an eyebrow, and with a quick glance Sebastian could see that the rest of the group was waiting expectantly too. “I mean, didn’t Berry throw a pretty interesting mixer last year?”

Rachel blushed furiously at the reminder, but Kurt began to laugh. After a second, so did Mercedes, and even Finn joined in hesitantly. The ice was sufficiently broken, and Kurt slipped back into his seat, patting the space next to him as a signal to Sebastian. Obligingly, Seb took his place at the table and slowly, conversation began again.

The large group of teenagers ate pizza and, of course, bread sticks, and talked and laughed. Puck tried and failed to be served beer. Brittany told long, involved, and seemingly completely imaginary stories. Finn and Rachel were disgustingly affectionate, often having kisses interrupted when someone else threw something at them. Mercedes actually attempted conversation with Sebastian, to his great surprise, and it was only moderately awkward. At one point Sebastian got up and moved to one of the other booths to sit next to Blaine and talk for a while. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about the guy, with regards to Kurt and the complex history between the three of them, but he at least knew that they could hold a conversation cordially. And they did, talking about the end of summer and their respective futures.

“Not returning to Dalton for your senior year?” Sebastian asked. His tone was light, and he hoped that Blaine didn’t think too hard about the implications of the question- the fact that Sebastian knew Blaine had changed schools mostly because of Kurt, and now Kurt was no longer a factor.

“No,” Blaine answered, smiling and shaking his head. He turned for a moment to look at the other end of the table, where Tina and Artie were building an elaborate structure out of salt shakers and salad plates, while Sam narrated their actions in an unidentifiable accent. “I think I’ve found my place,” Blaine added, turning back to Sebastian.

Their conversation petered out, but Sebastian was a little preoccupied anyway. He returned to his original seat, next to Kurt, and sat for a few moments staring into the distance, thinking, before Kurt tapped him on the shoulder and quietly said, “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Sebastian muttered.

“What is it?” Kurt asked gently, the words heard by no one but him.

Sebastian shrugged, then turned to face Kurt. “People change,” he answered simply.

 

The night wore on, and eventually nearly everyone had left, tightly hugging both Kurt and Rachel before departing, sometimes crying. Sebastian had to sit at the table quietly, tracing water rings on the tablecloth with his finger and trying to control the rough feeling rising in his stomach when Blaine had pulled Kurt aside for several minutes of private conversation before leaving.

Finally only the four of them remained: Kurt, Rachel, Finn, and Sebastian. Rachel and Kurt paid the check with money their parents had gifted them, and then Finn stood and helped Rachel up as well.

“I’m gonna stay out a while longer,” Kurt told Finn, to Sebastian’s surprise. “Take the car and let Dad know, okay?”

Finn shrugged, putting his arm around Rachel’s shoulders. “Okay.” The pair left the restaurant.

“Wasn’t that a little suspicious?” Sebastian asked once they were alone.

Kurt rolled his eyes. “As if Finn and Rachel aren’t already suspicious. It’ll be a matter of days before they know, anyway. Plus, Finn won’t tattle on me. I have too much dirt on him.”

“Still haven’t told your dad?” Sebastian surmised.

Kurt sighed. “I’m trying to find the right words.”

They fell into silence, and Sebastian decided it was high time to change the mood. “Everyone’s gone now,” he remarked, “so I guess now I can do this…” He slid over in the seat so he and Kurt were thigh-to-thigh, and then rested his chin on Kurt’s shoulder, his nose brushing the side of Kurt’s face, his breath warm on Kurt’s neck. He felt Kurt shiver slightly.

“I guess you can,” Kurt answered, his voice hitching a little.

“Mmm,” Sebastian muttered, closing his eyes and bringing his hand to rest on Kurt’s leg. “It’s a shame you live in Lima.”

“And why’s that?” Kurt asked, still trying to control his voice.

“Because my parents aren’t home tonight,” Sebastian responded. Then he froze, pulling back, his fingers slipping off of Kurt’s jeans, cool air rushing in against their faces where they’d been pressed close. “Not that, you know, that means anything. I mean, I was just going to invite you over. But we don’t have to- it wouldn’t necessarily-“

“Sebastian,” Kurt cut him off, laughing slightly. “It’s okay. Don’t worry. I…definitely appreciate the offer.”

Sebastian blinked. “Really?” he asked. They hadn’t talked about this kind of thing- they’d been dating for such a short amount of time- but he’d had the feeling that Kurt was going to want to take things slowly, to build up. And while Sebastian wasn’t used to that, on any level, since he’d never had a relationship that lasted for longer than it took for both participants to get off, he was willing to do it, if Kurt wanted.

“Really,” Kurt assured him. “But, you’re right. I don’t want to drive to Westerville and back tonight.”

Sebastian laughed. “Okay,” he said, feeling much more relief than disappointment. He hadn’t wanted to cross any lines so early on.

“Besides,” Kurt said, shrugging. “Soon enough we’ll be in New York and we can be alone any time we want.”

“We’ll have roommates,” Sebastian pointed out.

“We’ll put a sock on the doorknob,” Kurt replied, leaning in to kiss Sebastian.

 

They left Breadstix, stopping on Kurt’s insistence at a Kmart to buy a blanket, and then driving a bit out of town to a field that Melanie had brought them to earlier in the summer. Sebastian parked his car, the headlights sweeping across the grassy landscape before switching off and dousing them in darkness, save for the stars above them. They walked to the middle of the field where Kurt spread out the blanket, and Sebastian silently surveyed their surroundings, his eyes adjusting to the darkness.

“I miss Melanie,” he said softly, staring at the dark horizon.

Kurt glanced up at him, pausing for a moment before responding, “I know.”

They lay down on the blanket, limbs tangling together, both staring up at the brilliant night sky.

“So,” Sebastian spoke after a few minutes of quiet, the only noises those of cicadas and the slight breeze ruffling the foliage. “Your last night in Lima. How do you feel?”

Kurt blinked up at the stars where he’d been scouting out constellations. “Normal, I guess,” he admitted. “I don’t know.” He shifted, turning to face Sebastian instead of the sky. “Then again, ‘normal’ has pretty much been redefined for me over the past couple weeks.”

“Yeah,” Sebastian agreed, his eyes flicking to Kurt’s dark shape. “The whole blanket-under-the-stars thing is really too romance novel for my taste.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Shut up. I like romance.”

“And I like _you_ ,” Sebastian told him. “So I’ll put up with it.”

“There, see?” Kurt asked, teasing. “Sebastian Smythe _likes_ me. That’s not normal.”

Sebastian didn’t reply for a moment. “Yeah,” he said finally, his tone somber. “I still need to say sorry for that. For everything.”

“Seb,” Kurt propped himself up even more, focusing completely on Sebastian. “No, you don’t have to apologize.”

“Yes, I do,” Sebastian said. “I can make a million excuses for everything I said and did to you- I can explain that I didn’t really _know_ you then- but it doesn’t matter, because those things were inexcusable.”

Kurt sighed. He didn’t want to be having this conversation, but he knew it was unavoidable. “Sebastian…look. We met because we were both interested in the same guy, and yes, that’s a terrible way to meet. But I’m glad we met, anyway, because if we hadn’t we wouldn’t be here now. And frankly, I think we’re both pretty happy with our love lives now.”

Sebastian snorted, but his mood didn’t seem to lighten. “I get that,” he told Kurt. “But still, when I think back on everything I…Kurt, I was downright _cruel_ to you. Time and time again. And to the people that you love. That’s not…I mean, that’s serious.”

“Will you look at me?” Kurt asked, and after a moment Sebastian turned his head, staring into Kurt’s eyes, which glinted slightly despite the darkness around them. Kurt tried his best to make his expression completely raw, and open, and honest, and he hoped Sebastian could tell how much he meant what he was saying. “Everybody makes mistakes, okay? Everyone. Myself included. As cliché as it sounds, nobody’s perfect. It’s true. And yeah, I’ll admit that you did some pretty shitty things in the past. And sometimes I was hurt by the things you did. But life is about making mistakes and fucking up, and then learning from it, okay? You need to do things wrong so you can learn how to do things right. That’s how you grow. And Seb…you’ve grown. I hardly knew you before, but…but I care about you so much now. And there’s still so much about you that I don’t know, and I can’t wait to start learning more, but one thing I do know is that you won’t try to hurt me again. You’ve learned your lesson. You’re not like that anymore. I don’t want you to still think of yourself that way, because that’s not you. You care.”

Sebastian didn’t say anything at first, just continuing to look at Kurt. Finally, he exhaled.

“Okay,” he said. “I…I can try, to think like that. Because you’re right, I don’t want to hurt you. Not anymore.” He took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Kurt replied, smiling slightly.

They pressed their bodies closer together, wordlessly expressing the closeness they needed.

 

Kurt arrived home in the very early hours of the morning, kissing Sebastian quickly before getting out of his idling car. Kurt let himself into the house and crept up to his room. He was glad that no one was awake to question where he’d been or who with- he didn’t think he could hide the body-encompassing lightness that he felt.

 


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone. Before you is the final chapter in A New Way, the conclusion of the story. Before you go on, though, I have some words for you.  
> I am so, ineffably grateful to each of you who has taken the time to read my story, who has stuck by waiting for updates, who has commented or given kudos and expressed your feelings about it. It was a labor of love- for the characters, and for myself- and I am amazed at how much love I received back.  
> A quick reminder that [scifigeek14](http://archiveofourown.org/users/scifigeek14/pseuds/scifigeek14) made some spectacular fanart for this story, which you should check out [here](http://chrismydisneyprince.tumblr.com/post/77256891868/a-kurtbastian-ficrec-with-fanart-fic-a-new-way).  
> If you are interested you can find more of my fanfic [on my tumblr](http://thelegendofjenna.tumblr.com/tagged/my+fanfic), which includes Kurtbastian as well as Klaine.  
> I also want to thank [Susan](http://rustofstars.tumblr.com/) who beta'd some of the early chapters and gave me the confidence to share this story with all of you.  
> I have been honored to have such great, dedicated and enthusiastic readers. I hope I've done right by you. Now go ahead and finish the story.  
> <3 Jenna
> 
> P.S. (I forgot to include this, oops) If anyone is interested I do have a Spotify playlist for this fic, so I suppose you could comment here or contact me on Tumblr if you want the playlist.

Early the next morning, when the sky was still gray and the humid air had yet to warm up to unpleasant temperatures, Kurt and his father drove to the airport. They parked and Burt helped carry one of Kurt’s bags, and Kurt didn’t have the heart to object. Kurt got his boarding pass at the airline desk, his name and location(LaGuardia Airport, LGA) printed in bold black letters. He checked the bag his father had been holding, and then they headed silently towards the escalators which lead up to security on the second floor, where they would have to say goodbye. Although it was early, there were still plenty of people walking around them. That was one thing Kurt had always loved about airports in his infrequent visits to them- they were always busy, people bustling around, hurrying from one place to the next. It reminded him of a city where things were happening at all times of day and night.

Kurt and Burt paused in front of the escalator, a large sign informing them that only ticketed passengers were allowed beyond that point.

“You got everything you need?” Burt asked, breaking the silence.

“Yes, Dad,” Kurt replied, smiling slightly.

“Good. Just let me know if you need anything else shipped once you get there.”

They were quiet again for a moment.

“You scared?” Burt asked softly.

“Terrified,” Kurt replied, staring up the escalator.

“Kurt,” his dad said, and he turned so they were face to face. “New York is going to be easy compared to Lima. You’ve dealt with all kinds of crap over the past few years- you think college is going to be any harder than that? You’re strong, Kurt. Stronger than anyone else I know. And New York is filled with people like you. You’re gonna fit right in. It’s okay to be scared. It’s a big change. But what’s life without a little struggle, huh?”

Kurt could feel his eyes prickling, tears starting to form. “You really are the world’s greatest dad,” he said.

Burt shrugged. “I know,” he answered simply. “Come on, now, you don’t wanna miss your flight.”

“I’ll miss you,” Kurt choked out.

Burt smiled. “Nah, you’ll be too busy making friends and singing and becoming a star to miss me. But you can call me whenever you need to.”

“Okay,” Kurt said, and his father pulled him in for a tight embrace. Kurt couldn’t help but let a few tears trail down his cheeks, soaking into his father’s shirt. His dad had always been there for him, to give him a hug when he needed it, strong, protective arms wrapping around him. What was he going to do without that?

Kurt swallowed as he pulled back, wiping his eyes. He couldn’t lie to his dad anymore, either. “Um, Dad,” he said hesitantly. “There’s something I need to tell you. I don’t want to tell you over the phone, so I need to do it now. And I’m sorry in advance if it ruins the emotional integrity of our goodbye.”

Burt, whose own eyes were not completely dry, smiled slightly. “Okay, go ahead.”

Kurt took a deep breath. “I’m kind of…seeing someone. Sebastian, actually. I’m dating Sebastian Smythe. Oh, and he’s also going to school in New York.”

Burt stared at him, confusion mingling with the other emotions displayed on his face. “What?” he asked.

Kurt didn’t feel like elaborating, though he was relieved that he’d told his dad. “Well, I’ve got to go,” he said, “Can’t miss my flight, like you said.” He leaned in to quickly kiss his dad’s cheek. “I love you, Dad. Glad I got that off my chest. Okay, I’ll call you once I’m there. Love you! Bye!” Kurt began up the escalator, hoping his dad wouldn’t be angry.

“Kurt!” he heard once he’d nearly reached the next floor. He turned to see his father still standing in the same spot, looking up at him. “I love you!” Burt shouted.

Kurt smiled, tears threatening his eyes again. He waved, and just as he began to go out of sight, the escalator rising, his dad waved back.

…

 

Kurt had managed to snag the last window seat on the plane, so he was treated to a bird’s eye view of the city, seemingly minuscule from their height, as the plane descended. While he’d brought several magazines to read on the plane, and had plenty of things he could do on his phone, he’d spent most of the flight simply staring out the window at the brightening day, watching patches of land pass by beneath him, and thinking.

He was scared. As the plane landed his stomach twisted, and not only due to the change in altitude. He felt the way he did as he stood backstage in the darkness, waiting for the curtain to lift so he could walk onto the stage and into the spotlight. While he loved performing, there was no way to get rid of that jump of nervousness the moment he had to step in front of an expectant audience- only this time, the performance was his life. He was leaving behind everything he ever knew, and no matter how much he wanted to get out of Lima, that was no easy feat. He’d no longer have his father within reach, he could no longer call Mercedes up whenever he needed to talk, could no longer open up the drawers of the dresser his mother once used, now in the laundry room of the new house, and breathe in the scent of her perfume that somehow still lingered there. Admittedly, Rachel would still be close by, but Kurt knew it wouldn’t be the same as high school. Who knew what different directions he and Rachel would take, and whether their paths would remain parallel? Only time would tell. He would have to make new connections, new memories. He’d have to find new places to call his own- a favorite coffee shop, somewhere to sit and study, a place to stare at the horizon and think. This new place was a blank canvas for him, a clean start, and he only hoped he could make something worthwhile out of it. He feared loneliness and failure. But as his father had said- struggle was a part of life. If you’re scared, that means you’re taking a chance. He had no idea how things would go, how his life would change in the next few months or years, or how he himself would change. If there was anything he’d learned, though, it was that things never turn out the way one expects them to.

The funny thing about life, he’d mused the plane taxied towards the airport, is that it just keeps going. The future seems like only an abstract idea, but suddenly it catches up to the present and things are happening that you’d planned in the past. He was in New York, for real, in order to go to the college he’d dreamed of attending. And while he felt somehow overwhelmed, he also felt a bit out-of-place leaving Ohio. He’d always somehow pictured a different Kurt being the one who took the final step away. A more sophisticated Kurt Hummel would be the one stepping off the plane and into LaGuardia, collecting his luggage and taking a bus into Manhattan.

And yet, Kurt didn’t feel any different as he did those things. So far as he could tell, he was exactly who he had been for his whole life.

But that wasn’t true, he realized, not quite. Because he was going to attend a school to pursue a dream that while he desired, he once wouldn’t have had the courage to try for. He was going to live in the largest city in the country, the iconic place that he’d seen on television screens so many times, a place that was no more than a fairytale until he’d visited it with his classmates, and he and Rachel and truly, irrevocably fell in love with the place. It had still seemed magical, but more real than it had ever been. And now, maybe, it was his home.

The Kurt Hummel entering New York, he contemplated, had experienced pain and embarrassment and hardship. He’d experienced friendship and love and joy. He’d lost family members and gained new ones. He’d loved, and lost, and loved again. He’d grown up and learned things and evolved.

Kurt’s life was not a movie, and not everything went perfectly, and not everything made sense. But sometimes, like when he emerged from Penn Station burdened with his luggage, staring up to see the buildings reaching into the morning sky, people around him walking to work, shops opening up and lights turning on, Kurt felt like for once everything was right.

So, alone in the city for a while, he began the laborious task of figuring out how to get where he needed to be.

 


End file.
